IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 238 

Recognizing the threat to international security and basic human dignity 

posed by the catastrophic decline of economic, humanitarian, and human 

rights conditions in the Republic of Zimbabwe. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2009 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. FLAKE, 

Mr. INGLIS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. WOLF) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the threat to international security and basic 

human dignity posed by the catastrophic decline of economic, humanitarian, and human rights conditions in 

the Republic of Zimbabwe. 

Whereas the undemocratic practices and failed economic policies of the regime of Robert Mugabe have contributed directly to the collapse of the Republic of Zimbabwe’s economy, public health care, and education systems, and 

other basic social services; 

Whereas water treatment and delivery have dramatically declined since the government nationalized the municipal 

water authorities in 2006, and many other basic social 

services, such as trash collection, have effectively ceased 


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•HRES 238 IH 

in urban areas, posing significant health risks due to 

poor sanitation; 

Whereas, with the unemployment rate at 94 percent and with 

food and fuel in short supply, Zimbabweans now contend 

with widespread malnutrition rates and outbreaks of infectious diseases; 

Whereas according to the World Food Program, almost three 

quarters of the population, nearly 7,000,000 people, will 

require emergency food aid in the coming months; 

Whereas, in a country that was once heralded as the breadbasket of Africa, a higher percentage of its citizens now 

rely on food aid than in any other country in the world; 

Whereas despite the threat of mass starvation throughout the 

country, human rights groups consistently have documented the Mugabe regime’s use of food as a weapon 

against the population, including the deliberate diversion 

of United States food assistance from those in need to 

feed political supporters; 

Whereas, with limited access to food, health care, clean water 

and basic sanitation, life expectancy in Zimbabwe has 

fallen from 62 years in 1990 to just 34 years today; 

Whereas as a result of the political and economic crisis, and 

subsequent flight of trained health professionals, public 

hospitals and clinics throughout the country have been 

forced to close their doors, leaving most Zimbabweans 

with little to no access to health care; 

Whereas Zimbabwe has one of the highest HIV prevalence 

rates in the world; 

Whereas HIV clinics in Zimbabwe increasingly have had limited-to-no access to test kits, blood sample kits, and 

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•HRES 238 IH 

nutrition rates have rendered many suffering from AIDS 

unable to take the necessary antiretroviral medications; 

Whereas, as a direct result of the collapse of Zimbabwe’s 

health and sanitation services, the country is in the middle of a nationwide cholera epidemic, with over 89,000 

cases reported and over 4,000 dead; 

Whereas, although the cholera outbreak reportedly began in 

August 2008, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child 

Welfare did not declare a national emergency until December 2008; 

Whereas the spreading of this disease was preventable and 

has since become a regional problem, with cases reported 

in all of Zimbabwe’s neighboring countries; and 

Whereas, in addition to cholera, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, 

Zimbabwe’s crumbling health infrastructure is now also 

challenged by the emergence of several hundred human 

cases of anthrax, which were reportedly contracted as a 

result of starving Zimbabweans eating carrion, or dead 

and putrefying animals: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the threat to international secu3 rity and basic human dignity posed by the cata4 strophic decline of economic, humanitarian, and 

5 human rights conditions in the Republic of 

6 Zimbabwe; 

7 (2) deplores the undemocratic practices and 

8 failed policies of the regime of Robert Mugabe in 

9 Zimbabwe, which have contributed directly to the 


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•HRES 238 IH 

1 current crisis and brought untold suffering upon the 

2 people of Zimbabwe; 

3 (3) urges all responsible nations to join the 

4 United States in providing urgently needed humani5 tarian relief to the Zimbabwean people, as necessary 

6 and appropriate, with a particular emphasis on food, 

7 clean water, and basic sanitation, in an effort to 

8 ameliorate the ongoing humanitarian emergency and 

9 confront the cholera epidemic which now poses a 

10 transnational threat; 

11 (4) demands that nongovernmental organiza12 tions engaged in humanitarian relief activities be 

13 given sufficient space to operate; and 

14 (5) demands that all political prisoners be re15 leased immediately and all spurious charges unjustly 

16 leveled against them be dropped. 

Æ 


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