'Major disaster' looms as hunger spreads - WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it urgently needs almost US $70 million to provide food for 2,6 million people already suffering severe shortages in Southern Africa. "Natural disasters and high maize prices have forced hundreds of thousands of people throughout the region to rely on food aid for survival. Donor response to repeated WFP appeals has been sluggish, and now the agency urgently requires US $69 million (145,866 mt of food) to ward off an imminent break in food supplies, particularly for people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe," the UN agency said in a statement on Tuesday as it issued a donor alert. "If we can't get enough food to feed 2,6 million people right now, what will happen when potentially millions more need our help in the months ahead," said Judith Lewis, WFP Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. "Much more must be swiftly done to stave off the spread of hunger and malnutrition." "The situation for people all over Southern Africa is very bleak, but I'm confident that help will start to come. It is extremely clear that a major crisis is on the horizon. Now is the time to act to prevent what is now a crisis, from developing into a major disaster," she added. The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation estimated in February that up to four million people in the region - mainly in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi - would go hungry in months to come. According to news reports, up to 300 people have died so far because of a lack of food. WFP said initial estimates of the upcoming April/May harvests indicated that Southern Africa would experience yet another year of low maize production and economic hardship, made worse by a vicious dry spell which has withered crops across the region. "Coming on the heels of a similarly poor 2000/2001 production year, the effect of this year's poor harvest could be devastating," it said. Logistical problems, mainly with delivery, have been exacerbating food insecurity in the region as suppliers try to meet the region's huge commercial and relief needs. Malawi, for example, placed an order for about 150,000 mt of maize with South African suppliers late last year to get through the traditional lean season. However, only about 60,000 mt of the staple has actually been delivered so far. As a result, hunger in the landlocked country has been deepening steadily, with about 100 hunger-related deaths reported since the beginning of January. In Zambia, about 117,000 refugees - mainly from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo - have been on half ration since the beginning of January because of delays in delivery. "A food aid shipment en-route from Durban, South Africa, will temporarily alleviate the problem. However, US $9,2 million is still urgently required up until the end of 2002 to avoid similar ration cuts in the near future," WFP said. Kelvin Shimo, spokesman for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, told IRIN on Tuesday there was a steady inflow of refugees into camps in western and north western Zambia. About 700 Angolans had registered at the camps each month in January and February and it was not clear whether UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi's death on 22 February would result in dramatic inflows (of refugees in camps), he said. It was clear, however, that food pressures would increase in the camps. WFP said it received only 40 percent of the US $19 million it needs to feed about 1,3 million Zambians affected by drought and floods last year. "As a result, WFP has just enough to feed the most vulnerable groups ... Many people have resorted to eating immature, green maize to survive. Others go hungry. WFP teams report that the traditional maize belt of Zambia has been hard hit by the lack of rain, dashing prospects of a favourable upcoming harvest," the agency said. In Zimbabwe, where the agency resumed food aid distributions on 20 March after a break because of the 9-11 March election, donors have only contributed 30 percent of the US $60 million needed. "Therefore, food aid for half a million rural Zimbabweans could run out by July. The impact of land reform and economic hardship, combined with failed rains in key production areas, mean that Zimbabwe may have to import more than one million mt of maize from the already-tight surpluses in South Africa," WFP said. "The number of people needing food aid is set to rise." In Malawi, experiencing one of the worst maize shortages in the region, maize prices had increased by as much as 500 percent and people were selling their livestock to buy some of the staple, WFP said. Yet, it added: "WFP has not yet received confirmed contributions to its US $4,2 million emergency operation to feed 255,000 people." The agency said it had provided about US $1,5 million from its internal emergency credit reserve to buy food quickly for distribution, and had also channelled food from other operations in the country to the most critical areas. This money, however, had to be repaid with new contributions. WFP said it was also battling to feed about 8,000 refugees in Malawi as it had not received any food aid pledges after appealing for US $724,000. It said thousands of people in Mozambique were likely to need help in the months to come as the effects of the drought take root. "WFP is planning a new emergency operation, with the number of people requiring food aid now being finalised. WFP will this month complete an operation to feed 170,000 flood victims, some of whom were subsequently affected by drought," it said. "Similarly, international assistance for Lesotho and Swaziland, which don't normally require emergency food aid, may also be required ... The precise numbers in need will be determined during forthcoming assessment missions. WFP has already directed food aid from existing disaster mitigation projects in Lesotho, to help some 36,000 people in the worst-affected pockets of the country," according to the agency.