WFP, donors, prepare for coming lean season

The World Food Programme (WFP) and donors from around the world are putting the final touches to plans to pull 12.8 million people through the coming lean season. The organisation has already signed Letters of Understanding with the governments of Angola, Lesotho and Swaziland to seal agreements on warehousing, transport and staff accommodation. They have also signed an agreement with Zambian millers covering the importation of 350,000 mt of maize. To facilitate this, millers will use their own currency resources, with the government waiving import duty. Plans in Zimbabwe include mapping out a proposal for the establishment of a donor-supported foreign exchange facility which would enable private firms to pay for non-controlled food imports. Food shortages caused by the country's drought have been exacerbated by foreign currency shortages and price controls as well as disruptions to farming through the land reform process. A WFP statement said: "This could help ease the current food access problem, in which even those with money cannot buy food because of reduced availability in the markets." Concerns about politics seeping into the distribution of food aid in Zimbabwe have also surfaced. WFP Regional Director for Southern and East Africa, Judith Lewis told IRIN recently that workers on the ground had received extensive training and that politicisation of food aid would not be tolerated. Last week WFP head James Morris discussed the matter with President Robert Mugabe. At a subsequent media briefing he told reporters: "I made it very clear to him that the WFP will not tolerate the politicising of food distribution." The WFP, which hopes to provide 67 percent of the food needed, with NGOs making up the balance, has secured US $128 million from donors - 25 percent of the US $507 million needed. The organisation faces a shortfall of 39,000 mt for July and August. It also needs 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 food shortage is expected to be most acute in Zimbabwe, where almost six million people have been identified as needing assistance. It has been predicted that grain stocks will run out in August. Breaks in supplies are also expected in Angola in December, where WFP is feeding 156,000 UNITA soldiers and their families. Aid agencies are battling the poor infrastructure left after 27 years of war. Broken bridges, inaccessible areas and rough terrain pose a serious challenge to delivery. The organisation is investigating the more expensive option of delivering food by air to areas which are extremely difficult to reach. However, although they still need a vast amount of money, the WFP's plea for aid has not fallen on deaf ears. The United States (US) government has provided more than US $68 million in emergency humanitarian assistance through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Last week USAID announced that the US government would also provide another US $82 million of mixed commodities. Morris said last week that Norway made a new US $400,000 cash contribution, the United Kingdom donated US $28.4 million cash, Canada gave US $1 million and the Netherlands US $500,000. As many experts have warned, the crisis in the region is not only about food. A massive consolidated appeal would be launched for Southern Africa this week, to secure other vital supplies such as medicines and sanitation equipment which would stop the crisis from getting worse.