USAID's Strategy in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is in the midst of four destructive and interrelated crises: humanitarian, HIV/AIDS, economic and political. No sector of this once vibrant and growing economy has gone unscathed, nor has any segment of the nation's diverse population. Zimbabwe was once acknowledged as an enduring post-independence success story, but the actions of the Government of Zimbabwe over the last several years have caused immense damage to the nation's economy, democratic institutions, social cohesion and welfare. Repairing Zimbabwe's tattered institutions and rebuilding its economy promise to be a long and difficult process. It is also one that most observers agree the country cannot embark upon without first addressing the underlying political crisis that polarizes this troubled nation.

Zimbabwe's economic and social indicators paint a picture of a country in deep crisis: over half of the population requires emergency food and other humanitarian aid to survive; over one third of the sexually-active population is HIV positive ; GDP is expected to have declined by at least 12 percent in 2002 ; the annual inflation rate is conservatively estimated at 175 percent (500 percent anticipated in 2003); unemployment is officially estimated in excess of 60 percent; and acute shortages in basic food supplies, medicines and fuel persist. The nation's crisis has resulted in a large-scale exodus of teachers, social/health care workers and professionals with marketable skills.

Objectives for U.S. assistance in Zimbabwe are to: prevent a further deterioration of the political and economic situation and the consequent detrimental impact on the region; strengthen the prospects for stability by fortifying civil society and democratic institutions; and implement an effective response to the catastrophic HIV/AIDS pandemic.

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