11/07/2007

Contacts: Sean Garcia and Patrick Duplat

The United Nations should play a larger role in responding to the needs of displaced Zimbabweans in southern Africa. It should also assign an agency to coordinate the efforts of its various branches and those of international service agencies and civil society organizations. Facing a problem that spreads across the region, the UN is in the best position to provide a coherent response to the growing humanitarian needs of Zimbabweans outside their country.

• The UN’s statements currently emphasize that Zimbabweans are fleeing for economic reasons. Informally, UN personnel acknowledge that there are legitimate protection issues and growing humanitarian needs among Zimbabweans in South Africa. RI has drawn the same conclusions in Botswana and Zambia. The rhetoric must reflect reality in order to allow UN agencies to expand operations.



• A joint assessment of the situation of Zimbabweans in South Africa was conducted by IOM, UNICEF, and UNHCR in September 2007, and includes recommendations. The UN should conduct similar assessments in Botswana, Zambia, and consider doing so in Mozambique.



• OCHA is currently limited in its ability to take a coordination role. It has not been invited to operate directly in South Africa, and is focused mainly on natural disaster and famine response at the regional level. OCHA is best positioned to coordinate the humanitarian response regionally.



• If OCHA is not able to play the lead in coordinating a response, the UN must select agencies in each country neighboring Zimbabwe to lead and coordinate an effective response, as is the case in South Africa. UNHCR, with field offices in all neighboring countries, is best positioned to play that role.



• Lead agencies must actively coordinate not only UN agencies, but also engage the international NGO and domestic civil society groups that are responding to humanitarian needs. While IOM does act as the lead agency in South Africa, sufficient coordination is not taking place.



• The UN should negotiate with host governments to allow for the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans. Until legal reforms can provide Zimbabweans with documented status, it is important that they are not threatened with arrest, detention, or deportation at service provision sites. While South Africa has made progress on this front, Botswana is particularly hostile to this agenda, and has indicated it will not allow any assistance to be provided to undocumented Zimbabweans.