Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Lesotho
  • News

"Monumental crises" - HIV/AIDS and famine

    JOHANNESBURG
    HIV/AIDS is exacerbating food shortages in Lesotho, despite international aid over the past six months, a senior UN official ssaid on Thursday. "It is clear, especially with the likelihood of another poor harvest and the astronomical HIV/AIDS level, that we have an enormous battle ahead," UN World Food Programme chief executive, James T. Morris said in a statement. Morris said the gravity of the two "monumental crises" converging across southern Africa had prompted the addition of UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, to accompany him on his visit to the region. "HIV/AIDS is destroying the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people across Lesotho and is threatening society as a whole," said Lewis. Morris will also tour Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi in coming days.

    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

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join