Food needs for war-displaced reach critical stage

WFP has stated that the need for cereal contributions for an emergency operation for Ethiopians displaced by the war has reached a critical stage. In an emergency report received by IRIN, it also said it was distributing food aid to 1.5 million beneficiaries affected by failed 'belg' rains - up from 1.2 million originally planned due to cereal production falling shorter than estimates had suggested. In all, donors had pledged about 360,000 mt of food aid as of July, from an estimated government requirement of 550,000 mt for five million people affected by drought, according to according to the FAO's annual report on food supply and crop prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa, received by IRIN on Tuesday. The north western Amhara Region, with some two million vulnerable people, was worst affected, it said, adding that early prospects for the main 'meher' season were uncertain, despite beneficial rains in June and July, because of delayed soil preparation and farmers having been forced to plant low-yield, short-cycle crops.