Millions will go hungry this festive season says WFP

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of a grim Christmas season and new year for the millions of people across Southern Africa who are facing hunger. The agency lacks the funding to ensure adequate food supplies to assist millions of people in southern African countries who have suffered the combined impact of erratic weather conditions, HIV/AIDS and weakened capacity for governance. According to the Human Development Report 2004, issued by the UN Development Programme, 17 countries in the world had negative Human Development Index growth between 1995 and 2002. Eight of these were in Southern Africa, including Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Swaziland and Zambia. The AIDS pandemic, as well as entrenched poverty, has played a significant role in this downward spiral. "HIV/AIDS is exacting a devastating toll, particularly in small countries like Lesotho and Swaziland, but donor priorities appear to have shifted while millions suffer," Mike Sackett, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa, said in a statement. "Without international assistance, the high HIV prevalence rates will not go down, nor will the region recover," he added.