The Zimbabwean government initiated "Operation Murambatsvina," or "clean up filth", a supposed effort to crack down on illegal markets and homes that had seen slums unfit for human habitation emerge in towns and cities. Over 700 000 people were displaced from their homes. Their very livelihoods especially women and children destroyed. There has been an international outrage over this action.

Agriculture

A chaotic land reform programme which the government claimed would reverse historical imbalances in the ownership of land by dispossessing the white minority and rewarding the black majority. The Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme has only benefited the small elite connected to Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party. A more disastrous consequence of this programme is the current economic and food crisis.

5.7 million people rare under feeding programmes. Grand mothers are watching their grandchildren getting sicker and sicker without the resources or food. There is literally nothing to  sustain them  these grand mothers, who are now picking  and boiling local red erries with very litlle nutritional value and trying to make porridge with these. Reports of deaths due tom hunger  have become  common place. Chronicle food shortages over the years have taken a heavy toll, particulary in children, with malnutrition widespread and bellies of Kwashiokar appearing even in urban setting. Kwashiokar is a word used  if or when a child  is suffering from malnutrition caused by not having food or enough of the right food. A combination of  hunger, unemployment,under resourced hospitals and clinics.the migration of doctors  to neighbouring countries is taking its toll.

Health delivery system has collapsed.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS afflicts one  in every five between the age of 5 to 49  years

This is the biggest catastrophe the country is faced with today. The collapse in health delivery services has not made the situation any better, neither has the drop in nutritional levels a result of the humanitarian crisis. Families cannot feed themselves. It is estimated 3000 to 4000 people die from HIV/AIDS each week. Almost a million children have been orphaned due to AIDS. There is a rise in child headed households.

Cholera

The UN health agency estimates that about half of Zimbabwe's population of about 12 million are at risk from cholera because of poor living conditions, eg clean water and sanitation.

The root cause of the cholera scourge is the failure of the government to effectively manage the sewage  system in the country as well as its failure to provide adequate and clean water to residents. The acute  water  shortages that have rocked the Harare suburbs have made it almost impossible for residents to maintain hygienic living environ's; a situation that has left children exposed to cholera and other disease infections. With rainy season wich commenced a month ago there are risks for further spread of cholera if strong measures are not taken.

Education

Less than ten years ago Zimbabwe had  the best education system in the Sub-Saharan Africa with nearly every child going  to school. Now a majority of children are out of school and system is in tattars. Zimbabwe's 4.5 million school age pupils attendance had dropped to around 20% at the end of 2008 from 85% as late as 2007.

30,000 teachers had already left the education system, many were forced to spend their days trying to find  enough money  to get by in stead of going to school, due to salaries that could only buy a few loaves of bread.

The country's food crisis also meant that  thousands of children were  forced to work, scarvange or beg in stead of going to school. Children as young as seven  years are seen roaming the streets of Harare selling sweets and cigarettes. Many of the children living and working on the streets are victims of the government's controversal policies. The children lack sustainable sources of livelihood. 70% of them are HIV/AIDS orphans as a result they find stutenance from working for themselves and begging on the streets. Children are exposed to many forms of abuse. Young girls are the most vulnerable to exploitation as they are desperate for survival, many of them are taken from the streets and end up in the brothels where they are abused. The girl child  has a double tragedy - being a child who needs to be looked after and a woman at night. This is child labour and exploitation.

A generation is at risk of growing without any education in Zimbabwe, and that will have catestrophical consequences for the country to recover. Zimbabwe was renowned for having Africa's finest education system, producing literate, competent school and university graduates, who are now sought in other African countries.

Violence

Children have not been spared  from violence, a two year old boy was arrested together with his mother, he was prisoned at chikurubi maxmum prison, they say he is a threat to Zimbabwe security, questions in people's minds, what has he done?

Children has seen what they call home being burnt to ashes, their parents beaten  to death, these children are so traumatized they need councelling.