What you need to know about the current state of Zimbabwe
Economic Situation
Zimbabwe is going through its worst economic crisis in decades with a three figure hyperinflation resulting in the rising cost of living. The unemployment rate is over 80%. The pandemic made the situation worse, and added 1.3 million below the poverty line. Approximately 7.9 million in 2020—almost 49% of the population reached extreme poverty. Zimbabwe is ranked the 25th poorest county in the world
Health Crisis
The healthcare system in Zimbabwe has crippled over several years. The public hospitals lack in resources and workers are underpaid and overworked. Currently, there are 1.6 physicians and 7.2 nurses for every 10,000 people. Hospitals are often overwhelmed and have to turn patients away. People struggle to pay medical bills, and most of the population does not have health insurance. The top three health threats facing the population are HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria
The Struggle for Education
Zimbabwe does not provide free education, so families are met with the struggle of paying out of pocket to send their children to school. The fees of government and private schools have shot up over 300% last year. With the high unemployment rate most parents cannot afford their children’s school fees causing them to have to drop-out
Food Insecurity
Unprecedented droughts and a tumbling economy have left half the country without enough food. The number of people who are unable to put food on their table has increased to 7.7 million people out of Zimbabwe's 14.6 million population. The World Food Program reports 70% of children under the age of two suffer from vitamin deficiency.