UN envoy presser on tour of Zimbawe

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(7 Dec 2005) • • Hatcliffe Extension, Zimbabwe - 6 December 2005 • 1. Wide shot of UN convoy • 2. Mid shot of UN convoy • 3. Various of Jan Egeland, United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, looking at houses accompanied by army personnel • 4. Family sitting inside a makeshift house drinking coffee • 5. Various of Egeland touring the area accompanied by the army personnel • • Hopely Farm, Zimbabwe - 6 December 2005 • 6. Various, Egeland with army, government and UN representatives touring the area • 7. Wide shot of farmland, shacks visible from above • • Whiteclife, Zimbabwe - 6 December 2005 • 7. Egeland inside a shack • 8. Wide shot of Egeland and his staff in vehicle convoy leaving the scene, including a sign saying 'Whiteclife Housing Project' • • Johannesburg - 7 December 2005 • 9. Wide shot of Johannesburg Airport • 10. Wide shot of news conference • 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jan Egeland, United Nations' emergency relief coordinator: • The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is extremely serious and is deteriorating. In many ways it is like a meltdown, when you go from more than 60 years life expectancy to around 32-33 years life expectancy. • 12. Egeland at news conference • 13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jan Egeland, United Nations' emergency relief coordinator: • But also things like the disastrous eviction campaign earlier this year was at the worst possible time and exacerbated the lack of housing. And as I can see myself, most of those evicted have no adequate housing. Housing which is being built by the government and international partners is inadequate. • 14. Cutaways, news conference • 15. Egeland sitting at table • • STORYLINE: • • United Nations' emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland wrapped up a three-day visit to Zimbabwe on Wednesday, telling reporters in neighbouring South Africa that Zimbabwe was in meltdown . • • The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is extremely serious and is deteriorating. In many ways it is like a meltdown, when you go from more than 60 years life expectancy to around 32-33 years life expectancy, he said. • • But President Robert Mugabe's government has rejected UN assessments that his country faces a humanitarian crisis. • • Mugabe's government has also rejected strong UN criticism of its Operation Murambatsvina - Clean Out Trash - a so-called urban renewal campaign earlier this year that left thousands homeless. • • Egeland also said he hoped his visit, in which he toured demolition sites and housing projects and held meetings with government officials, would pave the way for a better working relationship with the Zimbabwean government. • • Relations eased last week after the government agreed to allow the World Food Program to help feed at least three (m) million people after earlier denying critical shortages. • • Zimbabwe will allow the United Nations to help build new homes for those displaced by Operation Murambatsvina after first denying there was a housing crisis, though it has rejected an offer of tents as an interim measure. • • A United Nations report concluded some 700-thousand people lost their homes or livelihoods in the campaign and called for those responsible to be punished for causing immense and unnecessary suffering. • • The campaign was defended by the government as an urban renewal drive but opposition leaders claim the demolitions were aimed at breaking up their strongholds among the urban poor. • • Zimbabwe is also plagued by acute food shortages and a devastating AIDS epidemic that is killing some 3-thousand people a week, Egeland said. • • • Millions have been left without adequate food, employment or health care. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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