Tearfund has welcomed the EU decision to renew the 'restricted measures' against President Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe. But while their renewal sends a message of continuing disapproval from the international community, the poor and marginalised have never been so desperate, says Christian humanitarian agency Tearfund.
The measures that have been in place since 2002 are aimed to curb travel and freeze assets of over 150 government officials, and also include arms restrictions. Human rights abuses are spiralling, however, and leaving many without a sense of hope, Tearfund has warned.
It is estimated that over 80 per cent of Zimbabwe's 12 million people are now living in poverty, with unemployment rates now exceeding 80 per cent. In January inflation rose to around 1600 per cent with the cost of basic goods out of reach for many people. Parents can no longer afford to send children to school and their sense of despair grows amidst strikes from public servants whose bus fares exceed their wages.
"Children who desperately need food and medical care are instead going hungry and dying in silence. In many parts of the country children are growing weaker and have lost hope altogether," the agency said.
"I have never seen such a depressing outlook," says Tearfund aid worker, Karyn Beattie, who has recently returned from Zimbabwe. "The people I have met just want the basic elements of life. They don't have enough food and medicine and the structures in society are unable to provide them with essential care. They are suffering from every side, losing everything - and in many cases they have even lost hope."
