The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said at the weekend it can continue to provide aid to thousands of Mozambican drought victims, thanks to the first shipment of 16,000 mt of maize from South Africa.
The donation is part of a larger contribution of 100,000 mt of maize valued at US $20 million, given earlier this year to WFP's emergency operation in Mozambique, the UN News Service reported.
Angela van Rynbach, WFP Representative to Mozambique, stressed the effects of the drought crisis and praised South Africa's donation to its neighbour. "The South African maize will help us expand to hot spots where these families are trying to survive in extremely fragile conditions," she commented.
After reviewing the results of April's maize harvest, assessment teams have found that large areas of southern and central Mozambique have experienced widespread crop failure. Almost 1 million people will need emergency food relief in the coming year, up from the 650,000 who were believed to be in need earlier this year.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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