David Miliband says the situation in Zimbabwe is unbearable
- 00:01:30
- ITN
David Miliband says the situation in Zimbabwe is unbearable
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that the situation in Zimbabwe has become unbearable following a UN briefing that the cholera outbreak death toll has risen to 978. Mr Miliband said the picture presented by the UN was "shocking" to the council. He said: "We heard a devastating report from the secretary general of the UN about what he called the disintegration of state institutions, the collapse of the economy, the disembowelling of the economic institutions, the collapse of health and education services and of course the symptom of that disintegration is the shocking fact that cholera has returned to Zimbabwe." He said that cholera has also spilled over to neighbouring countries. "The disease that has the headlines is the cholera, but the disease at the heart of Zimbabwe, the disease that was highlighted by the elders who were denied entry into the country but nonetheless did extensive soundings in South Africa is the disease of misrule and corruption to use their words at the heart of the Zimbabwean regime," he said. The world body's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that on top of the death toll, the number of suspected cases of the waterborne disease has jumped to 18,413. Zimbabwe has been unable to afford spare parts and chemicals for systems to provide clean water and its hospitals no longer have the staff or medicine to treat the sick. The financial crisis has also hit food supplies - prices of goods are doubling every 24 hours and basic foodstuffs are running out. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party has renewed accusations that its opponents are training in neighbouring Botswana to overthrow President Robert Mugabe. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) dismissed the allegations made in state media, saying the comments might be used as a pretext to crack down harder on dissent or declare an emergency. Mr Mugabe's party and the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai, who is in Botswana, have yet to implement a unity government deal struck in September because of a dispute over how to share cabinet posts. Earlier, the MDC said it was ready to participate in any new election as long as it was under international supervision. MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said the party would reject a poll held under the ruling Zanu-PF's terms.
ITN | December 16, 2008
