[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 238 Introduced in House (IH)]

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 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 drugs to treat opportunistic 
        infections, and high malnutrition 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes 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;
            (2) deplores the undemocratic practices and failed policies 
        of the regime of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, which have 
        contributed directly to the current crisis and brought untold 
        suffering upon the people of Zimbabwe;
            (3) urges all responsible nations to join the United States 
        in providing urgently needed humanitarian relief to the 
        Zimbabwean people, as necessary and appropriate, with a 
        particular emphasis on food, clean water, and basic sanitation, 
        in an effort to ameliorate the ongoing humanitarian emergency 
        and confront the cholera epidemic which now poses a 
        transnational threat;
            (4) demands that nongovernmental organizations engaged in 
        humanitarian relief activities be given sufficient space to 
        operate; and
            (5) demands that all political prisoners be released 
        immediately and all spurious charges unjustly leveled against 
        them be dropped.
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