Shortfall in funding 'alarming' - WFP

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of an "alarming outlook" for its aid operations in Southern Africa. In its latest situation report the WFP said "projections on critical pipeline breaks for the Southern Africa Regional EMOP [Emergency Operation] remain", as donor funding has not kept pace with operational requirements. "Current projections show an alarming outlook for the critical 'hunger period' - with a total maize shortfall of 74 percent in January, escalating to 95 percent in February, [and] a 100 percent break [projected] in March," the organisation reported. "WFP urgently seeks additional donations in order to avert this major pipeline break, which will result in serious disruptions in food distribution across the region in the critical first months of 2004," the agency warned. On 29 July the UN launched a 2003/04 Regional Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for Southern Africa, of which the WFP EMOP was an integral part, to provide assistance to 6.5 million people "severely weakened by consecutive failed harvests, extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS", the UN said at the time. The total CAP asked for US $530 million - $320 million for relief food and $210 million for other aid - to address the needs of people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, WFP spokesman Mike Huggins told IRIN on Monday that the agency had a "shortfall of about $235 million" for its vital food aid operations. "It's very serious. We have significant shortfalls [of relief food commodities] already in October for Zimbabwe and Mozambique," he said, adding that the situation in Mozambique "continues to get worse and worse". "We are looking for cash contributions from donors - we need the cash as it is too late for us to wait for food to arrive from abroad to feed people hungry in October and November. We need to be able to procure food on the local markets," Huggins explained. Zimbabwe remains the worst-affected country, with aid agencies projecting that 5.5 million people will need food aid this year. At the launch of the July CAP, the UN had noted that "although humanitarian response and improved harvest this year have brought some respite for much of the region, many parts of the six countries covered by the appeal remain extremely fragile. Acute needs, particularly in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, will be a primary focus of the United Nations agencies". However, the WFP said it had received "very little" from donors to address the needs of the millions of people in need of food aid in Southern Africa.