Key facts on Zimbabwe

Hit by drought, HIV/AIDS and economic meltdown, Zimbabwe is in the grip of its worst humanitarian crisis since independence.

Average life expectancy 43.5 years
Agriculture devastated
World's highest inflation

Twenty years ago the country was hailed as an African success story and dubbed the "breadbasket" of southern Africa. Now it has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world, according to the World Health Organisation.

Several million were receiving food aid at the start of 2008 after yet another year of severe drought.

Farming is the backbone of Zimbabwe's economy, but agriculture has been crippled by the combined effects of drought, HIV/AIDS and controversial government land reforms.

Unemployment is sky-high and galloping inflation has made basic foodstuffs, fuel, health and school unaffordable for many. Millions of Zimbabweans have fled to neighbouring countries.

Zimbabwe's crisis has escalated since elections in March 2008. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change won a majority in parliament and their leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in the presidential vote but not by enough to avoid a run-off election set for June 27.

Less than a week before the vote, Tsvangirai pulled out following widespread violence against his supporters. The bloodshed has attracted international criticism and unprecedented condemnation by the U.N. Security Council. Mugabe, in power since 1980, has refused to call off the vote.

Key facts

Estimated life expectancy in 2006 43 years (women), 44 years (men)
( WHO 2008)
Percentage of population malnourished 45 percent ( WFP)
No. displaced 570,000 (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2007)
No. who lost incomes/homes in 2005 state crackdown on shantytowns 700,000 (Source: U.N.)
Percentage of people living on less than $2 a day 83 percent (WFP)


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