Save the Children today said the international community must put politics aside and respond quickly to the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, now that the government has openly declared it a national emergency.
Thursday 4 December 2008
The Zimbabwean government has reported that more than 550 people have died so far from cholera.
Speaking from the capital, Harare, today, Rachel Pounds, a country director for the global children’s charity said: “Cholera and hunger are sweeping across Zimbabwe. It is the poorest who are most at risk - especially children. The health system has all but collapsed, many state hospitals and clinics have shut, there are not enough drugs and health workers are not being paid enough to survive. At the same time the water infrastructure is in total disrepair.
“In the short term, aid agencies including Save the Children and the United Nations can help contain the situation. Aid workers can organise water trucks and can support health workers and get them back to work. But we need money and so we’re asking world leaders to fund us – we can’t do this alone.”
Ms Pounds said that the international community could deal directly with the UN and aid agencies and did not need to go through the Zimbabwean government. “Save the Children is working directly with people in need, feeding them and providing health services, but we need more money.”