Save The Children - Zimbabwe crisis

Zimbabwe's health and education systems have collapsed. 5.1 million people need food, but rations are being reduced because of the overwhelming demand.

Tinashe, one year and four months, looks like she could be malnourished. Her mother is waiting in the queue for the Save the Children food distribution. Half the Zimbabwean population is in need of food aid but resources are insufficient.

Tinashe, who is 16 months old, waits with her mother in the queue for the Save the Children food distribution. Half the Zimbabwean population is in need of urgent food aid, but resources are insufficient and rations are being reduced. Please help us to save the lives of children like Tinashe. Donate now.

When they can’t find anything else to eat, people in Zimbabwe pick marula seeds, which crushed to a powder and made into a paste. Half the Zimbabwean population is in need of food aid and one-third of children are chronically malnourished.

When they can’t find anything else to eat, some people in Zimbabwe will pick marula seeds, which can be crushed to a powder and made into a tasteless, paste that lacks in vital nutrition but staves off the most severe hunger pangs. Half the Zimbabwean population is in need of food aid and one third of children are chronically malnourished.

Godgave, six, is weighed and measured at one of Save the Children’s Early Childhood Development Centres to ascertain how malnourished he is. He is109 cm tall- the height you’d expect a 4 year old, to be. He weighs 13kg, which puts him in the ‘red zone’.

Godgave, six, is weighed and measured at one of Save the Children’s Early Childhood Development Centres to ascertain how malnourished he is. He is only as tall as a four-year-old, and weighs just 13kg. We're feeding over 1,000 pre-school children in our Early Childhood Development Centres.

Zineth, six, is weighed and measured to ascertain how malnourished she is. She weighs 15kg and is 112cm tall which puts her in the ‘red zone’.

Zineth is six, and weighs just 15kg. This puts her in the ‘red zone’, she needs food aid urgently. She's one of the lucky ones. Thousands of children are facing starvation in Zimbabwe. Zineth is attending a Save the Children Early Childhood Development Centre, where she is fed once a day, and can play with other children. We want to reach more children, and we want to make sure we can continue to feed children like Zineth.

Thabse Mumkombe, 35, walks home with her food rations from a Save the Children distribution with her daughter Precious. Thabse has been put in Category A- this is the most vulnerable category needing food aid. She’s been ill since 2007.

Thabse walks home with her food rations from a Save the Children distribution programme with her daughter Precious. Thabse has been put in Category A, the most vulnerable category needing food aid. She’s been ill since 2007. Her husband died in July 2008, leaving her with their four children.

We want to reach at least 142,487 people in three districts with food aid. Please help us to reach them.

A child tucks into their breakfast at one of Save the Children’s Early Childhood Development Centres in Matabeleland North. This is more often than not the only meal these children will have each day.

A child tucks into breakfast at one of Save the Children’s Early Childhood Development Centres in Matabeleland North. This is more often than not the only meal these children will have each day.

What we're doing

We've been working in Zimbabwe for 25 years. In the current crisis, we've reached nearly 350,000 people with essential food. And we're feeding over 1,000 pre-school children at our Early Childhood Development Centres.

We're responding to the devastating cholera crisis, and have provided specialist support to over 60,000 people so far.

Since the health system has collapsed, thousands have been infected. Over 3,000 people have died from this curable disease, and many thousands more are in danger.

We're training health workers, providing them with transport, and we're treating people with cholera. We're providing life-saving treatment to those infected as well as vital information to communities to help prevent infection and seek treatment as soon as possible.

What you can do

Please donate to our Zimbabwe appeal now. We want to raise £5 million to help children and their families in desperate need.