Food aid meeting critical needs

The availability of early crops and aid interventions has ameliorated food insecurity during the 'lean season' in parts of Southern Africa. The period before the year's first harvest is traditionally the peak of hunger in the region, when aid agencies must reach a larger number of vulnerable people than at any other time of the year. "Overall, the food security situation in the region varies considerably ... current food security conditions are most concerning in the countries that experienced a poor production season in 2003/04. Surplus-producing countries, such as South Africa, Zambia ... have a satisfactory food security situation, with food insecurity reported only in selected areas," a Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) report noted. However, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned in its latest situation report that the regional Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO), aimed at assisting up to 4.3 million people vulnerable to food insecurity and the impact of HIV/AIDS in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, had received just $37.5 million of the $216 million required for 2005. FEWS NET noted the critical importance of aid interventions in helping to reduce food insecurity in the affected areas of Southern Africa. In Malawi "food aid distribution has ensured food access to vulnerable households, while active trade has helped stabilise maize retail prices, keeping them at levels that are affordable to most households. Current maize prices throughout the country are much less than those recorded in 2002 at the height of the 2001-03 food crisis," FEWS NET pointed out. WFP distributed food aid to 1.2 million Malawians in January. "Subject to resources being available, it is planned to increase this distribution to more than 17,000 mt to 1.3 million beneficiaries in February and March," WFP said. Nevertheless, "FEWS NET Malawi reports that by the end of January, all food security indicators pointed to an improving situation." In Zimbabwe there was ongoing concern about poor households' access to food. "Availability of most staples remains tight in the grain deficit areas of the country. This has resulted in high price levels that are beyond the reach of many of the poorer and most vulnerable households in both rural and urban areas. The most affected provinces include Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland (North and South)," FEWS NET observed. Last month, WFP distributed food to 970,000 people in Zimbabwe, which was hardest hit during the Southern African food crisis of 2001-03. Seasonal rain in January facilitated increased agricultural activities, however, and "opened up casual employment opportunities, thus improving food access for those able to engage in this type of work," FEWS NET noted. Zambia seems set to produce a maize "crop similar to the good one in 2004", WFP reported. However, "there are isolated areas that are reported to have run out of food stocks as a result of poor harvests brought on by flooding (western Zambia) and prolonged dry spells (eastern Zambia)," FEWS NET commented. A field verification exercise has estimated that around 5,100 mt of food will be required to assist 176,388 beneficiaries until the next harvest. WFP pointed out that "resources are urgently needed to meet the increased needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. The Nutrition Programme for Vulnerable Groups (NPVG) beneficiaries increased by over four times since last year". The aid agency needs 3,000 mt of maize, pulses, vegetable oil, and high-energy protein supplements to cover requirements until June 2005. In Mozambique "current mitigation measures (such as food aid distributions) in targeted areas ... continue to contain levels of food insecurity, especially in the drought-prone southern areas, where production levels did not meet consumption requirements. In addition, low average staple food prices (the lowest in four years) have enabled an increased number of poorer households to access food through purchases," FEWS NET said. The Mozambican ministry of agriculture is reviewing the impact on national crop production of recent heavy rains in the north and inadequate and erratic rains in the southern parts of Gaza and Inhambane provinces, WFP noted. WFP's Support to Return and Resettlement programme in Angola urgently required about $40 million, equivalent to 60,000 mt of food, for distribution to returnees through 2005. "Immediate new contributions will help avoid distribution cuts beginning in April," the agency said. Anecdotal information pointed to an improving food security situation in the central Planalto region of Angola. "Markets continue to be well supplied with the main staple foods, and prices of beans and maize are reported to have dropped from the high levels recorded in December following the lowland harvest in January 2005," FEWS NET said. "This year's harvest is reportedly better than last year, and many farmers are selling some of their crop to market traders." Food insecure people in Lesotho and Swaziland - two of the countries with production shortfalls since the 2001/02 drought - have continued to benefit from food aid interventions by WFP and other humanitarian agencies. A growing concern in both countries is the realisation that the number of food insecure households may increase now that the closure of uncompetetive textile factories has left thousands of people jobless. "Although the impact of such job losses on food security has not yet been assessed, the VACs [Vulnerability Assessment Committees] are planning to look into it in the next round of assessments," FEWS NET said.