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SOUTHERN AFRICA FOOD
Johannesburg, June 13 - In 2002, WFP launched a massive regional appeal to help feed millions of hungry people in Southern Africa. A year later, the Agency has averted starvation by feeding 10.2 million in six countries -- but the humanitarian crisis is far from over. Special Crop & Food Supply Assessments published by WFP and
the Food & Agriculture Organisation this week reveal that while
the region has produced enough food to meet two-thirds of its needs,
Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will
need to import at least 2.65 million metric tons over the next 12
months. Zimbabwe alone will account for about half of
the regional deficit after barely producing enough to meet
40 percent of its needs, while food shortages in Mozambique are
threatening almost one million people. With the highest prevalence rates in the world, HIV/AIDS has brought a new deadly dynamic to the food crisis. In the worst-hit areas, the virus' debilitating effects means farmers can't plant their land, let alone obtain seeds and fertilisers. Agricultural knowledge traditionally passed down from generation to generation is being lost. The assessments suggest many families were forced to sell their livestock in 2001-2 not just to cope with repeated crop failures, but also to cover the extra costs of health care and funerals. Use this country-by-country guide for year-on updates on the
status of the Southern Africa food crisis.
But economic and physical access to food remains a problem, with WFP expecting the number of people requiring food aid to rise from an initial 125,000 to 270,000 in the lean season. Some 32,000 metric tons of cereals will be targeted at families who have either lost their crops entirely or have no extra-income or livestock to help buy food on the market. WFP will also provide food aid for households affected by Lesotho's spiralling HIV/AIDS rates. The country's continued recovery will depend upon its ability to
cope with HIV/AIDS prevalent rates, currently touching 31 percent
among adults. The assessment calls for "major and immediate
interventions in all 10 districts" to check the spread of the
virus before it further undermines economic and social conditions.
By producing 2.3 million metric tons of cereals, the country faces a national shortfall of just 94,000 tonnes. Some areas, however, have suffered their third successive crop failure, and WFP still expects to appeal for funds to purchase 31,000 tonnes of food aid locally to help 400,000 people. WFP is particularly concerned about people affected by HIV/AIDS and the destitute. Agricultural inputs for the next planting season will also be needed.
12 months later, this figure looks set to rise. Food production may have surged in the north of the country, but serious food shortages are affecting 949,000 people in 40 districts in parts of the south and central region. Full report (pdf) Back to top   SWAZILAND A third, successive poor harvest has left Swaziland facing another food crisis. This year's food production may be six percent up on 2002, but it remains only 66 percent of the national five-year average.
According to the assessment, some 133,000 people will require urgent food aid. The figure will rise to 160,000 from July to December, reaching 217,000 in the lean period which marks the first three months of 2004. In the past year, WFP food aid reached some 270,000 people in Swaziland. To make matters worse, HIV/AIDS has a 33.4 percent prevalence rate
in Swaziland - one of the highest in the world, exacerbating the
impact of high unemployment, income inequality and poverty. WFP
will devote 24,000 metric tons of food aid to families whose access
to food and seeds has been badly hit by the deadly virus.
Production of maize, the country's main staple, is estimated at 1.16 million metric tons - almost double compared to 2002 and about 28 percent above the average of the last five years. Isolated pockets of poor harvest remain - the result of erratic rainfall or flooding - including the Southern Province. Families in these areas will need both food aid and seeds. With a 21.5 percent HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate, people living
or affected by the virus will also require food aid.
The situation has also been compounded by the marked reduction of the large-scale farm sector; last year, the sector produced only about one-tenth of its average 1990's output. As a result, about half of the regional food deficit of some 2.65 million metric tons is in Zimbabwe. The shortfall means that Zimbabwe will need to import almost 1.3 million tonnes of food, either commercially or through food aid, to meet the minimum food needs of its people. The Zimbabwe Government declared a State of Disaster in April 2002 Full report (pdf) |
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