IFRC appeals for more aid

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Thursday said it had only received half of the US $61.9 million needed to help about 1.3 million people across Southern Africa cope with the double blow of HIV/AIDS and food shortages. In an update of the regional emergency operation underway, the IFRC called for continued support from donors, saying further contributions were needed to cover all the needs targeted in the appeal. The IFRC's appeal has focused on Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. IFRC said in Malawi the German Red Cross was working with the local chapter on preparing the distribution of an additional 40,000 agricultural starter-boxes of non-food items. Also plans were underway for the implementation of a supplementary feeding programme. The Zambian Red Cross started general distribution of World Food Programme (WFP) donated non-genetically modified maize to 9,400 beneficiaries during the second week of November. The IFRC has received import permits for 630 mt of milled white maize and this was expected to be delivered towards the end of November. Already distributions had begun of 352 mt of beans. In Swaziland a second round of WFP distributions had started earlier this month, however, beans were not available and only maize and oil were distributed. IFRC said 23,853 beneficiaries had received food through the second distribution round. Through bilateral cooperation between the German Red Cross and the Baphali Swaziland Red Cross, 700 people affected by HIV/AIDS had also received food parcels. Additionally, plans to deliver agricultural kits containing seeds and fertilisers were in the pipeline. However, the kits would be distributed just after food distributions in order to prevent families from eating the planting seeds because of hunger, IFRC said. In Lesotho, where the terrain is mountainous, the IFRC said food distributions were complete in a third of feeding points. The Lesotho Red Cross had already distributed 15-kg rations of maize seeds to 5,000 households in the Mokhotlong district, and tools to 4,500 families. In Butha Buthe the distribution of 59 mt of maize seeds to about 4,000 households was completed on 13 November. With Federation assistance, a further 70 volunteers would soon be distributing seeds, farming tools as well as maize, beans and oil as a supplementary feeding program, focusing on people living with HIV and their families. The IFRC said the food emergency in Zimbabwe, where 6.7 million people face hunger, was compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and serious shortfalls in agricultural output "Inflation far outstrips increases in salaries. The political environment remains unstable, creating uncertainties for humanitarian organisations working in the country," IFRC said. To ensure that HIV/AIDS affected households have access to food supplements, the Zimbabwe Red Cross would be provided with WFP food. This was expected to assist 3,007 home based care (HBC) clients, with subsequent distributions reaching a further 17,954 people. Blankets and hygiene items had been received in the warehouse in the capital Harare, and would be distributed to all HBC clients in the coming two weeks, the IFRC said. Meanwhile, WFP on Thursday announced the creation of a global campaign to assist more than 38 million people facing food shortages across the continent. The "Africa Hunger Alert" campaign aims to broaden civil society's participation in alerting the international community to the problem of food insecurity in Africa. In a statement James T. Morris, WFP Executive Director, said: "By announcing the 'Africa Hunger Alert' campaign, WFP is signalling its commitment to link up with ordinary citizens to alert the international community to the enormity of the crisis faced by millions of innocent men, women and children who run the very real risk of death by starvation." The campaign would be officially launched on 16 December and run for at least three months. Participating organisations would be able to promote their activities and ideas on a special "Africa Hunger Alert" bulletin board on the internet. For more details: www.wfp.org/AfricaHungerAlert