"Illegal Settlement" Demolition in Zimbabwe Impedes Work of Bible League

The Bible League in Zimbabwe has allegedly been negatively influenced by the economical and social crisis in the country. The recent demolitions of the "illegal settlements" have left many people in desperate need of help from humanitarian and relief agencies. However, aid work is being strongly influenced by the dismal situation.

The recent evictions caused more than 64,000 families, representing 323,385 persons finding themselves homeless. In addition many displaced people are looking for shelter in the local churches.

Thousands of people were sent to the displacement camps - open-air farms, where they're living without shelter, food or clean water.

The government's "Operation Restore Order" has resulted in the worsening of an already desperate situation in the African country. The "operation" struck some of the poorest people in the country, which is currently suffering up to 80% unemployment.

The director of Zimbabwean Bible League described the situation as "the country's lowest ebb" in the economic crisis lasting for months.

"More than one million people have been rendered homeless. People are sleeping with children in the open during this cold winter season—it's so heartbreaking," he reported from Harare.

The difficult economic and social situation has affected the work of the aid agencies and their programmes. For example, the Bible League, distributing Bibles and providing Bible study programmes to comfort people in their difficult situations has been affected.

Last year, the Bible League provided Bibles and complete Bible study programme to more 30,000 Zimbabweans. More then 9,000 of them joined the local churches afterwards.

However, due to the new crisis brought about in the country, the work of the Bible League has been limited, as office hours of the workers were greatly reduced. Reasons for the cutting of work hours lie in the restricted means of transportation, since the office's vehicles are without fuel, as the result of economic crisis. This situation makes it impossible to distribute Bibles and other materials to the local churches.

The workers and their families are not able to pay the inflated prices and cannot make ends meet.

The people are suffering greatly, as they belongs to the one of the poorest countries in the continent, struggling with long droughts and diseases.

"There is so much despondency in the people you can almost feel it in the air," Bible Leagues director in the country continued.

"I’ve seen men with tears rolling down their cheeks because their livelihoods have been destroyed. One of our own workers was thrown into the open with his family, and there is nowhere for them to go. We are trusting God for a miracle for them."