DfID-Zimbabwe Partnership

The formation of Zimbabwe’s inclusive government in 2009 — the result of a power-sharing deal between two of the country’s top political parties — ushered in hopes for a new kind of leadership in a country that has been ruled by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party for more than 30 years. But the country is still in the throes of a fragile transition, and political wrangling has not stopped, as evidenced by high profile disagreements between Zanu-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party, Movement for Democratic Change. Because of the tenuous political situation — and despite efforts by the foreign aid community and government to restore economic stability — living conditions in Zimbabwe remain dire. Based on estimates by the World Health Organization and the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, 67 out of 1,000 children die before age 5 and 1.2 million, or 10 percent of Zimbabwe’s population, are living with HIV and AIDS. Nonetheless, the country has made some strides in development. In the U.N. Development Program’s 2013 Human Development Index 2013, Zimbabwe ranks 172 out of 186 countries, a significant achievement considering it placed last (169) in 2010. As Zimbabwe’s third-largest bilateral donor, the U.K. Department for International Development aims to reduce poverty, accelerate the country’s political transition toward a more open and responsive democratic government, and lay the foundation for a private sector-led economic recovery. Funding levels DfID’s aid programming in Zimbabwe comprises two stages: pre-election (fiscal 2010-11 to 2012-13) and postelection programs (fiscal 2013-14 to 2014-15). In total, the agency has allocated 435.9 million pounds ($675.6 million) in aid for fiscal 2010-11 to 2014-15 — about 87.2 million pounds per year. Click on image to view in larger size DfID currently does not channel aid through the Zimbabwean government because of the volatile political situation and corruption concerns. The donor could provide direct budget support in the future, but only after political conditions improve. At present, DfID provides financial aid to Zimbabwe through the following channels: - Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank and African Development Bank to support child protection, cash transfers, the provision of antiretroviral drugs, infrastructure, agriculture and food security. - Commercial service providers for the procurement of goods and services for medicines and contraceptives, as well as monitoring and evaluation services. - International and local nongovernmental organizations to support the government in basic service delivery, livelihood improvement, resource management and governance. Funding priorities DfID’s aid programming in Zimbabwe has gradually progressed from humanitarian relief to long-term development support after the inclusive government was established. DfID support has the following objectives: - Improve the poor’s access to basic services. - Provide logistics and skills in building livelihoods, linking the poor to markets, and giving access to business opportunities and microfinance. - Rebuild essential infrastructure. - Facilitate peaceful political transition that will result in sustainable economic and social progress. Click on image to view in larger size Since fiscal 2011-12, DfID has stopped providing food aid and supporting programs for migrant populations through the International Organization for Migration due to its shift to longer-term programming. In the area of climate change, the U.K. aid agency provides support mainly through raising awareness and promoting small-scale advocacy, strengthening household climate change resilience, and promoting agricultural diversification. DfID, however, is maintaining its ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, in case the current political and economic situation deteriorates. The following are the department’s three largest operational projects in Zimbabwe: - Maternal and Newborn Child Health (72 million pounds): improve the health of women and children in Zimbabwe through increasing access to quality maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition services. - Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention (57 million pounds): improve sexual and reproductive health among the poorest and most vulnerable populations, women and adolescent girls in particular, and decrease HIV incidences. - Reducing Poverty through Improved Livelihoods (50.1 million pounds): protect and promote the livelihoods of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe. Devex analysis As one of DfID’s 28 priority countries, Zimbabwe is expected to benefit from U.K. aid well beyond 2015, particularly if the country treads the path toward real democratic reforms after the elections. The aid agency recognizes the regional impact of Zimbabwe’s political stability as well; Zimbabweans comprise the largest number of applicants for political asylum in the United Kingdom. DfID is currently spearheading the coordination of donor activities in Zimbabwe. The department has been successful in leveraging other resources for multidonor trust funds such as the Protracted Relief Program, Education Transition Fund and ZimFund. In March 2013, London hosted the Friends of Zimbabwe meeting, which renewed commitments for future programs with the African country. Contact DfID Zimbabwe 3 Norfolk Road Mount Pleasant, Harare Zimbabwe enquiry@dfid.gov.uk Tel +263.04.85855300 Fax +263.04.338794 Join the Devex community and gain access to more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.