Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former United States President Jimmy Carter and international advocate for women's and children's rights Dr Graça Machel have concluded a three day assessment of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.
Unable to travel to Zimbabwe as originally planned, the Elders instead met political leaders, businessmen, aid workers, donors, UN agencies and civil society representatives in Johannesburg over the weekend, many of whom travelled from Zimbabwe to see them. They also held meetings with leaders of South Africa and Botswana.
While the nature of the problems in Zimbabwe has been well known, their meetings revealed a sharp deterioration in the crisis recent weeks.
FOOD
Food is the most serious problem. There is not enough to meet immediate needs and an acute shortage of seed and fertiliser means that April's harvest will produce a fraction of what is required. Donor assistance for the planting season reached only 25 per cent of the poorest rural smallholders.
The number of people reliant on food aid from UN and other agencies has increased from 2.6 million in October to 4.9 million in November. Half the population, 5.1 million people, will need food aid by January.
World Food Programme has already cut back on rations to make stocks last longer - leaving people with a daily allowance that provides just under 1500 calories, well below the bare minimum for survival. Without immediate increases in food availability, malnutrition rates will inevitably increase sharply.
HEALTH
Four major hospitals, including two in Harare, have closed their doors to almost all patients for lack of medicine and basic supplies - including running water. Hundreds of pregnant women needing caesarean sections or other assistance to give birth safely are being turned away. Staff numbers are falling as people make the search for food a priority.
About 15 per cent of the population is infected with HIV. 3,500 die every week. The AIDS crisis has left almost one in four children without one or both parents.
EDUCATION
School attendance has fallen sharply from over 85 per cent in 2007 to just 20 per cent. Universities have not opened at all this term. A teacher's monthly salary barely covers a day's average transport costs.
WATER AND SANITATION
Zimbabwe's collapsing health and water infrastructure has led to a major cholera outbreak that now raises the risk of a trans-regional cholera epidemic.
An estimated 6,300 cholera cases have been recorded in 9 out of 10 provinces in Zimbabwe, with fatality rates far above accepted international emergency levels of 1 per cent. Cases are already being recorded in South Africa and other neighbouring countries
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND CASH CRISIS
Hyperinflation means monthly salaries have plummeted in value with severe cash shortages making it very difficult for even those with incomes to buy enough to eat. The government has recently permitted the use of US dollars in some stores, but this is leading to a two-tier economy between those who have access to foreign currency and the majority who do not. Hyperinflation is affecting the dollarized sector as well.
MASS MIGRATION AND DISPLACEMENT
Zimbabwe's failing economy and humanitarian disaster has created an estimated 3 million refugees. The SADC region has ignored this refugee exodus, refusing to name it as such, which means that many of those who leave risk arrest and deportation.
IMPASSE ON FORMING A GOVERNMENT
The failure to implement the Global Political Agreement is accelerating the humanitarian disaster. Without political progress, none of these issues can be properly addressed.
"We knew when we planned this trip that the situation in Zimbabwe was serious," said Mr Annan. "What we have learned in the past few days is shocking. It is not just the extent of Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis, but the speed of deterioration in the past few weeks that is most worrying. The scale, depth and urgency of the situation are underreported."
President Carter said: "The signing of the 15 September agreement raised hopes in Zimbabwe and around the world, but the failure to implement it in good faith and create a workable power sharing government is leading to despair and accelerating the crisis. Regardless of the challenges in implementing the agreement, all parties should now make the welfare of the people their first priority and put an end to the unnecessary suffering of millions."
"The state is no longer able to offer basic services", said Dr Machel. "It can no longer feed, educate or care for its citizens. It is failing its people."
On leaving South Africa, the Elders will continue to follow events in Zimbabwe closely and use their influence wherever they can to ensure that the situation in the country is widely acknowledged and addressed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Political agreement
Food
Health
Education
Water and Sanitation
SADC region
The Elders want to thank all those who met them and helped make their stay in the region so productive, especially those who travelled from Zimbabwe to meet them, as well as the Presidents of South Africa and Botswana. SADC must play a crucial role in ensuring not only that the power-sharing agreement is implemented as soon as possible, but that work to get Zimbabwe back from the brink begins as well.