UN worried about Zim kids

2005-06-24 14:57

Geneva - The United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) has stepped up its aid to children who lost homes or were separated from their parents when Zimbabwe's government destroyed thousands of shanty town homes last month.

Unicef said the situation was particularly serious for children, many of whom have been left homeless in the middle of winter while others lost parents or caregivers during the turmoil.

"Schooling has been widely disrupted, access to water is difficult and respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases are a real threat," added Festo Kavishe, Unicef's representative in Zimbabwe.

After gaining access to most destroyed sites in the country, Unicef is now starting to distribute water, blankets, toilets, health supplies, plastic sheeting and toys, it said.

Unicef, which is seeking more than $2.7m in donations for its operations scheduled to last between six and 12 months, said it was impossible to reach all children.

Since police launched the campaign — dubbed "Drive Out Trash" and said to be aimed at cleaning up cities and fighting the black market across Zimbabwe — in the capital Harare on May 19, it has been extended throughout the country.

International rights groups say at least 300 000 people have lost their homes, while the United Nations (UN) puts the figure as high as 1.5 million. Amnesty International (AI) and other human rights groups issued a statement on Thursday calling the campaign "a grave violation of international human rights law and a disturbing affront to human dignity".

- AP