ECHO Backs IOM Emergency Aid to Vulnerable Migrants in Zimbabwe

GENEVA, Switzerland, October 4, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- IOM Zimbabwe has received EUR 1 million from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) to provide protection assistance to vulnerable migrants, including asylum seekers arriving in Zimbabwe in mixed migration flows and other mobile populations.

The funds will allow for the improvement of ongoing protection monitoring and assessments, the provision of emergency shelter, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and emergency health care.

The ECHO aid will allow some 6,000 asylum seekers and stranded migrants to receive emergency assistance at the Nyamapanda Temporary Reception Centre.

The funds will also be used for transport assistance to asylum seekers heading to Tongogara Refugee Camp, and for specialized support to unaccompanied minors.

Another 4, 500 households will benefit from improved access to health and WASH, while 9,000 households will get access to secure livelihoods.

The final objective is to assist communities affected by migration to achieve durable solutions through community-based planning, in close partnership with local authorities.

IOM continues to lead emergency coordination, assessment and information management, in close cooperation with UNOCHA and Zimbabwe's Department of Civil Protection.