"They torched our house, they burnt our livestock, I have nothing left and don't know where to start.", said 22 year old Precious, a mother of a six-month-old baby (Telegraph).
According to UNICEF the continued violence is damaging Zimbabwe's children and the grip it has on the countries children fears to only be tightening. Just last week the government run by President Mugabe's ordered that all international aid groups and NGOs to stop their field work. On June 4th all aid agencies where ordered to stop all work, as they have been accused of working against Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. The blocking of aid comes as the country is preparing for the presidential run-off election on June 27th.
Violence in the country arose after the the March 29th presidential elections, when Robert Mugabe was challenged by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU-PF), lost the majority in parliament for the first time since the country's independence in 1980.
Children not spared post-election violence, as children and their families have been displaced from their homes, some 10,000 or more according to UNICEF. Children have been forced out of schools and worse children have been wounded and killed amid the violence and ciaos. Many, especially women and children, have fled to South Africa, such as the woman and child pictured to the right (NY Times).
“The net effect is as many as 500,000 children are now not receiving the health care, HIV/AIDS support, education assistance and food that they require. Many of these children are orphans,” UNICEF said in a statement this past week. As concerns about the children of Zimbabwe's future rise, UNICEF's Regional Director for Eastern & Southern Africa, Mr. Per Engebak, said:
“This appalling violence damages children, their potential, and Zimbabwe as a whole. It must stop and it must stop now. All authorities have a legal obligation to protect children; and as a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child there is an international obligation."
However some 400 AIDS service NGOs allowed to resume operations, nonetheless the news has left many weary and many others wondering if international aid will be allowed in. For now the children of Zimbabwe continue to suffer amid the reigning madness of Mugabe's hold on the country and the violence that continues to show Zimbabwe's fragility.
Please see my esteemed colleague Derek Catsam's posts on the FPA Africa blog and his posts on Zimbabwe for more information on the current situation.
