US gives $98 million to fight hunger

Amid warnings that the food crisis in Southern Africa is worsening daily, the United States has donated US $98 million to the World Food Programme's (WFP) humanitarian efforts. "Throughout the region people are walking a thin tightrope between life and death. The combination of widespread hunger, chronic poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic is devastating and may soon lead to a catastrophe. "Policy failures and mismanagement have only exacerbated an already serious situation," said James Morris, WFP Executive Director, in a statement released on Thursday. A new food assessment would commence next week and the results, expected in mid-August, "may very well show an increased number of people in need, greater than previously anticipated", the aid agency said. WFP has been urging donors for a rapid response to its massive US $507 million appeal to feed 10.2 million of 12.8 million people facing hunger in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland. WFP has said it could not feed all the food insecure in these countries, the shortfall would have to be met by other NGOs. The donation of US $98 million by the United States was equivalent to 195,850 mt of relief food. However, "even with this latest US donation, WFP faces a shortfall of 39,000 mt to feed people in July and August, without taking into account the 320,000 mt of food needed to pre-position stocks ahead of the rainy season in October - which renders parts of the region inaccessible". The first installment of this contribution is a shipment of 35,850 mt valued at US $16 million. This relief food is already on the high seas and will arrive in two weeks at the port of Durban, South Africa. Morris also expressed gratitude to the government of Norway for a new US $400,000 cash contribution. Last Friday, WFP received a US $28.4 million cash contribution from the United Kingdom, a US $1 million donation from Canada and US $500,000 from the Netherlands. Cash and food contributions to date for the regional emergency operation total US $128.3 million, "but it is important to note that this is still only one quarter of what is needed until March 2003", the agency said. "We are particularly grateful to the United Kingdom and the United States for these extremely timely donations which are critical to saving lives," said Morris. Canada had also donated US $1 million towards the cost of the Johannesburg regional Management and Logistics Coordination Unit. Morris thanked the government of South Africa for its support in facilitating the establishment of the unit. He welcomed the country's interest and leadership on regional issues.