Food aid needed for another year

Food aid to Zimbabwe needs to be extended for another year with urgent steps taken to protect people from the consequences of yet another poor harvest, the latest Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said on Tuesday. With most of the maize crop performing badly due to inadequate inputs and poor rainfall distribution, crops are in a much worse situation than last year. In 2002, more than half of the country experienced a complete crop failure or well-below average yields, FEWS NET said. Current maize imports are coming in at less than half the national demand of about 150,000 mt per month. Combined with poor harvest prospects and anticipated low stock levels, initial estimates suggest that Zimbabwe will need to import between 930,000 mt and 1.3 million mt of maize for 2003/4. FEWS NET urged the government and the Grain Marketing Board to start planning now to find financing to import the maize required during the coming consumption year, and to appeal for continued donor assistance. It also said that the World Food Programme would need to extend the Emergency Operation (EMOP) for another year. The current EMOP stops at the end of March. But the latest vulnerability assessment, which will be revised in March, shows that households in nine out of 10 rural communities are already reliant on the sale of wild fruits, gold panning and in some cases even commercial sex work as coping mechanisms. Households have limited scope to expand their income-earning options. Their food security is expected to deteriorate further as January's 208 percent inflation rate eats into their small resources. Only households with cash reserves could afford the option of buying the rights to tend and subsequently harvest plots of immature maize in the northern districts where crops are doing better, the report said. In addition, drought-induced declines in crop yields are coupled with an outbreak of armyworms in parts of Masvingo, Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Midlands provinces. There were also reports of cattle deaths in Matabeleland South province where households rely mainly on livestock. Households in the southern and central districts are expected to have huge crop deficits and only households in the central and northern districts - who expect 70 percent or more of average yields - have prospects of being food secure in 2003/4. FEWS NET recommended that NGOs reduce their general distributions of food aid in favour of food for work activities for about six months from April onwards, to protect rural incomes and reduce dependency on food aid. Thereafter they should revert to general distributions. The agency also urged NGOs to extend their mainly rural-based food aid programmes to cover 850,000 urban poor and up to one million displaced farm workers. "All stakeholders in Zimbabwe [must] meet urgently to coordinate their management of the worsening food emergency and schedule regular meetings to review the situation and take action," FEWS NET said.