Ration cuts for refugees as food aid pipeline dries up

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that its assistance to refugees in Zambia is being jeopardised by a lack of funding. Despite urgent appeals for international aid by both the government of Zambia and WFP in December 2005, no new donations have been received and refugees have been on half-rations since 1 January 2006. "We have a refugee caseload of up to 82,000 people and we have not received any new contributions since July 2005, so it's getting a bit difficult. The food stocks we do have will run out by the end of March. We need $8.5 million to provide food to refugees until the end of December this year," WFP spokeswoman Jo Woods told IRIN. Meetings with WFP's cooperating partners and refugee leaders have been held to provide information on funding constraints and the insufficient food in the pipeline. Communities have also been advised of the need for careful and proper management of their food rations to avoid severe cases of malnutrition, especially in children under five. In September 2004 WFP had to cut food rations for three months to prevent a complete break in distributions. As a result, malnutrition among refugees increased, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates. Woods said not only refugees in camps were in need: "We've also had an increase in the number of refugees who need assistance in the Western province. These are refugees living in settlements who were able to grow their own food but have suffered due to drought," she explained. Erratic weather has lead to widespread food shortages in Zambia, where 1.4 million people will need food assistance until the next harvest in April/May. "At the moment, WFP is working to provide food aid to 1.1 million people, and the others are receiving assistance through various humanitarian partners and the Zambian government," Woods noted. WFP's food aid pipeline for the Zambian emergency was "looking good until June at least", she added. However, a sharp rise in the price of maize, the country's staple food, could impact on household vulnerability. The wholesale price of maize increased by nine percent last week, WFP noted.