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By Linda Green
United Methodist News Service

A crisis of medical, political and economic proportions is threatening the resiliency and survival of the people of Zimbabwe.

At the end of 2008, unemployment was at more than 80 percent and food, water and fuel remained scarce. "We are weak but surviving," said a Mutare woman who asked that she not be identified.

"People are struggling,"

A cholera epidemic and collapse of the health care infrastructure, an inflation rate of 231 million percent, resulting in food shortages, and a deadlock over power-sharing among two of the country's political parties, are creating an escalating humanitarian crisis.

More than 17,000 people are estimated to be infected with cholera and 1,000 people have died since August because of the lack of water-treatment chemicals, broken sewage pipes and using water from untreated wells.

The hardest hit area is Harare, the country's capital city, but neighboring states are being impacted because infected people are crossing the border seeking food and other assistance. People have been turned away from hospitals as medical personnel leave their jobs because of poor working conditions and the eroding of pay from hyperinflation.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief launched a targeted course of action in response to food shortages and the cholera epidemic. An immediate food distribution and additional support for United Methodist hospitals will begin to alleviate the suffering of many thousands in the days ahead.

Zimbabwe also has a major food deficit due to the economy and to drought.

"Unless there is a large inflow of food, either through donations or purchases by the national government, we expect a humanitarian crisis in the early part of next year," said Fanuel Tagwira, the interim vice chancellor of Africa University, adding that cholera has not yet reached the university water system.

"To say that these are challenging times for Zimbabwe, and particularly, for higher education institutions operating in this country, seems an almost ridiculous understanding of the reality in which we find ourselves," Tagwira told the members of the university's board of directors during their Dec. 3-6 meeting in Mutare.

Africa University, though weakened by the economic and hyperinflation environment, is one of only three private universities of the 12 universities in the country that are open and operating "with any semblance of normality," he reported.

Nonetheless, the Zimbabwean dollar continues to lose value, causing organizations and businesses to cope daily with an "unimagined economic reality," he said. In August, the central bank slashed 10 zeros from the local currency, briefly making the highest denomination of currency Z$10, until Zimbabwe started issuing bigger notes again.

The country issued a $1 million note in November in an attempt to ease inflation, which is officially pegged between 230 million to 500 million percent, but other reports place it in the billions.

The current highest denomination bank note is Z$50,000, reportedly not enough to buy half a loaf of bread.

"We are living the ‘unprecedented' and coping everyday with the hitherto unimagined economic reality," Tagwira said.

"This operating environment requires forward thinking and planning to sustain health and sustainability," Tagwira said, noting that the economic crisis in the United States and across the globe will have an impact on the university's endowment fund and apportionment.

Despite the country's circumstances, the dream that is Africa University is still alive, Tagwira said. "We believe overcomers are not born in good times. They are born in difficult times. When good times come, we will never be the same again."

The Baltimore-Washington Conference has an on-going partnership with United Methodists in Zimbabwe.

As part of this partnership, the conference has paid its apportionment to Africa University in full.

Those wishing to make a contribution to UMCOR can send a check, marked Zimbabwe Emergency, UMCOR Advance #199456, to the Conference Treasurer, 7178 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046.