“I am deeply disturbed by reports that a cholera outbreak has already killed nearly 500 people across Zimbabwe. Tragically, this health crisis is aggravated by the political turmoil there, which has led to the collapse of civil services and severe food shortages. African leaders must intensify their efforts to help the parties in Zimbabwe reach a negotiated solution which guards against manipulation of the power-sharing agreement and fully respects the will of the people. They must also address Zimbabwe's grave humanitarian problems that are the result of a lack of a legitimate government. I urge leaders in the region and the international community to work vigorously to ensure that clean water, food and medication reach the most vulnerable populations in Zimbabwe, and to remove any barriers to the importation of these basic necessities. Failure to act now could result in a wider disaster that costs many more innocent lives and destabilizes the wider region.”

Senator Feingold is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs.