WFP launches massive appeal

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday launched an appeal for over US $500 million to provide emergency relief food to six countries in Southern Africa for millions of people threatened with starvation over the next nine months. The agency needs US $507 million to fund close to one million mt of food, enough to feed 10.2 million people until the next main harvest in March 2003. Already, from June to September, seven million people need food aid, rising to just over 11 million from September to November, and peaking at 12.8 million from December until March 2003. The WFP hopes to supply 67 percent of the food required with NGOs supplying the balance. "This is WFP's largest emergency operation but it needs donations to succeed and those donations are needed now," said James T Morris, Executive Director of WFP. "Southern Africa is already facing an extremely severe crisis, which will only worsen in the coming months. However, it is still possible for the international community to avert a catastrophe by responding rapidly to this appeal." The crisis, which affects Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland is the worst that southern Africa has experienced for a decade. The situation in Namibia is still being assessed. Unlike the drought of 1991-92, a variety of factors, ranging from poor rains and floods to regional economic decline and governmental mismanagement, have contributed to the current shortages, the statement said. WFP's appeal will be targeted primarily at the most vulnerable households, such as families affected by HIV/AIDS and those headed by women, children and the elderly. The statement said the ability of the region's commercial sector to import large quantities of additional food was of paramount importance and that governments must cooperate with the private sector if there was to be enough food to stave off a crisis. "The magnitude of the crisis demands that everyone rallies together to save people's lives," said Morris. "No single organisation can hope to deal with this crisis on its own." Over the next few months, teams of experts would closely monitor the region's food security and the threat of another El Nino phenomenon was under continuous watch. While each country had different problems, the severity of the overall situation had been exacerbated by high levels of chronic malnutrition and the fact that the region had the highest prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world. "Coupled with rising levels of poverty and a succession of poor harvests, Southern Africa finds itself facing a potential calamity," the statement said. It was vital to get enough supplies before October when the region's rainy season starts, when many rural areas will be rendered inaccessible. WFP has set up a logistical and information management centre in South Africa to coordinate the movement of food aid. Once the food aid arrives, WFP will rely heavily on its implementing partners, including World Vision, Care, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children and many others to distribute it. "Fortunately, the international community has already begun to respond to the crisis," said Morris. "However, a lot more needs to be done if the region is not going to have a disaster on its hands. We still have the chance to avert a major humanitarian calamity. But we must act now." For the full statement: http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2