Zimbabwe rejects UN assistance to provide shelter to victims

The Zimbabwe government has rejected United Nations assistance to provide temporary shelter to victims of the June clean-up exercise, claiming it wants permanent shelters.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and Publicity George Charamba on Wednesday night said contrary to a UN statement attributed to secretary general Kofi Annan issued on Monday that Zimbabwe had rebuffed assistance from the world body, the government indicated to the inter-governmental organization that it would only accept aid to build permanent structures for the affected people.

"The UN statement is not true. Our stand as government is that the inter-governmental organization must fund a program for permanent structures, not temporary. The people affected are permanent citizens," Charamba said.

He claimed that the UN was under pressure from donors to assist the affected people with temporary shelters only.

In the UN statement, Annan is quoted as having said he was " deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation" in the country.

His spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric is quoted as saying the world body continued to receive damning reports that thousands of people were still homeless and in need of assistance "months after the eviction campaign" began in May.

"He (Annan) is particularly dismayed to learn that the government of Zimbabwe's Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Cabinet Committee has rejected offers of UN assistance," Dujarric said.

"A large number of vulnerable groups, including the recent evictees as well as other vulnerable populations, remain in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, including shelter. Furthermore there is no clear evidence that subsequent government efforts have significantly benefited these groups," Dujarric added.

But Charamba said some of the affected people were receiving assistance from a number of non-governmental organizations operating in the country.

He said the UN must not issue statements until a coordinator from the world body arrive in Zimbabwe this month.

"People must remember that during a UN conference this year, President Mugabe and Annan met on the sidelines of the meeting and the secretary general promised to sent a coordinator in November. The coordinator has not come yet... The UN office must hold fire until the visit of the promised coordinator," Charamba said.

Source: Xinhua