FAO appeals for additional aid

Amid concerns that the food situation in Southern Africa could worsen in coming months, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has appealed for an additional US $15 million to assist more than half a million vulnerable households across the region. In a statement on Monday, FAO echoed concerns raised by the World Food Programme (WFP) that poor weather and the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on agricultural productivity could deepen the humanitarian crisis. As a result, aid agencies operating in the region have said that further funding would have to be sought to assist the most vulnerable well beyond next month's harvest. Some 15 million people face acute food shortages following a combination of consecutive droughts, failed government policy and the impact of HIV/AIDS. In July 2002, FAO appealed for US $25 million to respond to the southern African crisis. More than US $10 million in contributions was received from the EU, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Britain and the United States. Director for FAO's Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Anne M. Bauer said: "This emergency is unlike any other humanitarian crisis. The causes are complex and merit a sustained and comprehensive package of relief and recovery efforts that focus on the most vulnerable groups." HIV/AIDS had proved to be the most challenging factor in the crisis in Southern Africa, according to FAO. On Friday, in its mid-term review of the 2002/03 Consolidated Appeal (CAP), the UN noted : "HIV/AIDS causes and exacerbates food insecurity in a number of ways. Illness and death of productive household members leave families unable to farm, indebted with high medical and funeral costs, and little means to earn extra cash to buy food and pay school fees." The FAO updated appeal is expected to raise funds for projects that focus assistance on female-headed households and HIV/AIDS affected families. "The projects, in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, aim to improve skills and increase the supply of agricultural inputs, such as seeds, hand-tools and fertiliser, while promoting crop diversity, labour saving technologies and resistance to drought," FAO said.