Australia to give extra aid to Zimbabwe
March 11, 2009 06:20pm
AUSTRALIA will give another $10 million to Zimbabwe to help provide clean water and draw health professionals back into the system.
Water-borne cholera has so far claimed more than 4000 lives in Zimbabwe, according to World Health Organisation figures, while more than 89,000 people have the disease.
To date, Australia has provided only humanitarian assistance amid concerns the regime of President Robert Mugabe could somehow swindle foreign aid dollars.
But Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told parliament the time had come for additional assistance.
"I think that, provided we take the appropriate balance of circumstances into account, we can render Zimbabwe development assistance and help to build their capacity," he said.
Mr Smith acknowledged it was a period of difficulty for Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zimbabweans are mourning the death of the prime minister's wife, Susan Tsvangirai, who was killed in a car crash as the couple travelled from Harare to their rural hometown of Buhera.
Her funeral was held today.
While there have been questions about whether the crash was an accident, Mr Tsvangirai has ruled out foul play.
Mr Tsvangirai works in a power-sharing arrangement with Mr Mugabe, who has been denounced by much of the international community.
Half of the new development assistance will be spent on water sanitation and infrastructure.
Mr Smith said the money would be spent through UNICEF.
"Recently Zimbabwe's local authorities took control again of responsibility for the water infrastructure, and UNICEF dealing direct with local authorities, in our view, minimises the prospects that that money will be diverted for insidious purposes by Mr Mugabe or his associates,'' he said.
The other $5 million would be spent through the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) to help revive Zimbabwe's collapsed health system.
"The health system of Zimbabwe has collapsed and they are in desperate need of finding health professionals and health workers," Mr Smith said.
"DFID has recently introduced a program where they provide health workers and professionals with additional incentive payments."
Mr Smith said the government would consider further opportunities to help Zimbabweans with development assistance and capacity building.
I bet the health professionals are just queuing up at the airports to get back there
