Zimbabwe: Evicted and Forsaken

I. Summary

II. Recommendations

To the government of Zimbabwe

To the African Union

To the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR)

To the United Nations agencies operating in Zimbabwe

To Senior U.N. Officials, including the Secretary-General of the U.N., the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights

To donor governments

III. Background

Operation Murambatsvina

Internal displacement in Zimbabwe

IV. Government's Failure to Assist and Protect the Displaced

Denial of vital assistance to the internally displaced

Government's obstruction of international humanitarian assistance

Protection and assistance to vulnerable groups ignored

Persons living with HIV/AIDS

Female-headed households and mothers of children with disabilities

Children

Restrictions on economic activities

Involuntary relocation to rural areas

Denial of access to legal remedies

V. International Response to the Crisis

Planning and coordination

Failure to incorporate protection issues in the response plan

Lack of coordination and limited involvement of protection-oriented agencies

Devising a realistic strategy for addressing the needs of the internally displaced

Assessment and monitoring

Absence of comprehensive data

Monitoring the situation

Lack of coordination with local and international NGOs

Implementation of humanitarian programs

Lack of protection

Problems with delivery of assistance

Advocating for the rights of the displaced

VI. Conclusion

VII. Acknowledgements