Food distribution suspended due to underfunding

The distribution of relief food to drought victims in the south of Madagascar was temporarily suspended last month due to underfunding and delivery problems, the latest World Food Programme (WFP) situation report said. A WFP spokesperson in Madagascar said the emergency operation (EMOP) in the country had only been 57 percent funded since the appeal was launched last November, and has had to juggle supplies from other programmes to meet demand. Madagascar's EMOP has been responding to the aftermath of a drought in the south, a devastating cyclone in the east, and the political disturbances related to the tussle for the presidency last year. In January and February there was no distribution by the EMOP in the south, although feeding programmes for 256 schools continued. Families coped as best they could, with many eating wild foods. By March, deliveries of relief food had resumed, the spokesperson said. Food meant for food-for-work reconstruction programmes was rerouted for use in the EMOP, but deliveries were suspended again in May due to supply problems. "It has been a very difficult time for WFP in Madagascar as there hasn't been enough funding," the spokesperson stressed. "Also, the roads are bad and communications are poor, which causes delays. "There has been a lot of focus on other southern African countries but Madagascar has kind of been forgotten." However, one shipment of European Union (EU)- funded relief food has arrived for the south and another was due from a EU-US-funded pledge. Part of the consignment would be used to restart the food-for-work programmes. The sweet potato harvest has also started in the south which, it was hoped, would help improve food security. "But we don't know yet if the harvest will be good and people are too poor to buy food from the market," the WFP official said, adding that the months from September onwards were going to be worrying. The EMOP was designed to cover 175,000 beneficiaries in 18 districts in the south. However, the government estimates that 600,000 people are in need of aid.