UN agency appeals for $308 million for food aid in Southern Africa
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed for $308 million to assist 6.5 million people in southern Africa as food shortages persist in the wake of erratic weather patterns, deteriorating economies, and the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on communities across the region.
WFP said close to 540,000 tons of food would be needed until June of next year. The agency has been carrying out emergency food distribution in the region since 2001, and 10.2 million people received food aid at the peak of the operations last year.
“Supporting people with food aid is the first step we can take to lessen this unimaginable misery, but huge needs persist in non-food requirements,” said WFP Executive Director James Morris.
The continuing food crisis mainly affects Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland. Zambia and Malawi have produced significantly better harvests this year and therefore food aid will only be targeted at the most vulnerable groups in those countries, primarily people with HIV/AIDS and children involved in school feeding programmes.
Although donors were generous over the last year, particularly in terms of meeting food requirements, they met only 31 per cent of the $143.6 million needed for non-food interventions, WFP said. There were significant shortages in non-food assistance, such as water and sanitation, agricultural inputs such as seeds and tools, education materials, and medicines.
“As long as people lack the resources to cope in times of crisis, they will remain vulnerable to natural disasters such as flood and drought, economic and political turmoil, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” Mr. Morris stressed. “If current trends in HIV/AIDS rates are not arrested, there'll be catastrophic consequences for this region. If we don't act now, it will be too late to save millions of people – we won't get a second chance at this.”
WFP would particularly welcome cash contributions from governments this year to enable the agency to support local economies.