The United States said Thursday it was looking at how to help Zimbabwe hit by a cholera outbreak, and renewed calls on President Robert Mugabe’s government to settle a month-long political crisis.
Zimbabwe’s government pleaded for international help Thursday after declaring a national emergency over the epidemic in which 560 people have died.
“We’re obviously very concerned about the health situation in Zimbabwe, as well as the economic and political situation,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said when asked about the US response to the emergency.
“And so it’s incumbent on the Zimbabwean government to cooperate with the international community in trying to deal with some of these issues,” Wood said.
Asked if there would be a specific US response to the health crisis, Wood replied the “USAID (Agency for International Development) is certainly taking a strong interest in seeing what we can do.
“But again, it’s really going to be incumbent on the Mugabe regime to first and foremost .. sit down with the opposition and work out some kind of political arrangement that represents the rule of Zimbabwean people, and then allow the international community to provide the type of assistance that’s necessary,” he added.
“But it’s a very difficult situation in Zimbabwe. We’re obviously very, very concerned about the reports of these cholera deaths,” he said.
The health crisis comes as Mugabe’s government has been mired in turmoil since he lost a first-round election in March.
Mugabe later claimed victory in a one-sided runoff after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out amid a wave of deadly political violence.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal more than two months ago, but have so far failed to agree on how to form a unity government.
Their feud has been overshadowed by the crippling cholera epidemic, which comes as the United Nations says nearly half the population needs emergency food aid.
AFP
