UN report warns of potential for "starvation on a large scale"

Conflict, population, drought and disease have brought about "exceptional food emergencies" in 16 African countries, including Somalia, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has stated in its annual report on food supply and crop prospects in sub-Saharan Africa. "In Somalia, the food outlook for 1999 and beyond is extremely grim", second worst of the 16, with 400,000 people at risk of starvation due to the cumulative effects of adverse weather, conflict and uncontrolled pests and diseases, the FAO stated. "Traditional coping strategies for most households have been virtually exhausted, while commercial and economic activities have been severely curtailed by factional fighting and insecurity." "The international community needs to devise ways of reaching and assisting the increasingly desperate populations, despite the serious obstacles hampering food relief distributions, failing which starvation on a large scale cannot be ruled out", the FAO warned. Continued large-scale food assistance would be needed in Somalia well into the year 2000, and most households would also need seeds and other inputs for the next growing season, it added.