Zimbabwe declares national emergency over cholera

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By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has declared a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 560 people a national emergency and appealed for international help to deal with the crisis.

Neighbouring South Africa said it was extremely concerned about deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe.

Economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, isolated by Western countries under President Robert Mugabe's rule, has left the health system ill prepared to cope with an epidemic that it would once have been able to prevent or treat easily.

"Our central hospitals are literally not functioning. Our staff is demotivated and we need your support to ensure that they start coming to work and our health system is revived," Health Minister David Parirenyatwa was quoted as saying in an appeal to donors.

Parirenyatwa said Zimbabwe needed medicine, medical equipment and food for patients and for child supplementary feeding programmes, according to the state-run Herald newspaper.

"The emergency appeal will help us reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the current socio-economic environment by December 2009," Parirenyatwa said.

The United Nations humanitarian office estimates the death toll from a deadly cholera outbreak at 565 people, with the capital Harare the worst affected.

Zimbabwe's health sector is collapsing with not enough money to pay for essential resources and doctors and nurses often striking over pay. The water system is in disarray, forcing residents to drink from contaminated wells and streams.

REGIONAL SUPPORT

Any hopes of rescuing Zimbabwe from economic collapse are on hold because of deadlock between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai over how to implement a power-sharing pact.

Analysts said worsening conditions may force Mugabe's government to mend relations with donors and other governments.

"I think if this continues they are in a very, very difficult position and I think in that position they may have to start thinking about taking any friends they can get, or any help they can get," University of Johannesburg political analyst Steven Friedman said.

Zimbabwe's neighbours, faced with cholera patients fleeing across their borders, moved to help the country, while the World Health Organisation said it was preparing to send a team to help deal with the cholera outbreak.

South Africa said it would look to work with other regional countries to help. Western neighbour Botswana, one of Mugabe's strongest critics, has said it would donate 3 million pula (255,000 pounds) for health and food relief in Zimbabwe.

Critics blame the economic crisis on Mugabe's policies, such as seizing white-owned farms to give to black Zimbabweans. The 84-year-old leader, in power since independence in 1980, blames sanctions from Western countries.

Deputy minister for water and infrastructural development Walter Mzembi said the ministry had only enough water treatment chemicals to last about 12 weeks, and called for donor support, the Herald reported.

"I am appealing for at least 40 million rand (2.7 million pound) to purchase chemicals for the next two months and the money is needed between now and next Monday," the paper quoted him as saying. The Zimbabwe government also appealed for $450 million (310 million pound) in aid to deal with food shortages.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe police arrested 10 soldiers over violent clashes with Harare citizens. Some "rogue" soldiers, angry after not being able to withdraw money from cash-strapped banks, damaged property earlier this week.

(Additional reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town; Moabi Phia in Gaborone; Muchena Zigomo in Johannesburg; Writing by Gordon Bell; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

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