Zimbabwe: Evicted and Forsaken
Internally displaced persons in the aftermath of Operation Murambatsvina

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

Shelter
Food
Health and sanitation

Advocating for the rights of the displaced

VI. Conclusion

VII. Acknowledgements

December 2005   Vol. 17, No. 16(A)

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