|
Food security
conditions in many parts of southern Africa have
marginally improved over the past year. Analysts
credit the increased rainfall in some countries
plus the measures taken to boost food production
for the upturn. However,
they warn that the gain
is insufficient to overcome the
effects of
drought and the impact of HIV/AIDS in
vulnerable
households.
The head of the Food, Agriculture and
Natural Resources directorate at the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) stated that
the food security situation in Malawi,
Mozambique and Zambia has improved, but warned
that Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland had large
food shortfalls. Although cereal production rose
about
6% in the
2002/03 season the SADC official
confirmed that
some 7 million people in southern
Africa, 5.4 million of
them in Zimbabwe, face
famine if there are no international food
handouts.
The chairman of the SADC Council of
Ministers acknowledged the region's efforts to
improve food production, but noted that they
were hurt by poor supply and infrastructure as
well as rising costs of fertilisers,
seed,
pesticides, veterinary drugs and equipment.
Analysts emphasised that poor farm policies and
political instability in some countries were
also to blame. He added that the rampaging
HIV/AIDS pandemic has exacerbated the food
problems and declared that the SADC had drawn up
a strategy to coordinate a $10.5 million joint
programme to tackle the disease.
The World Food Program (WFP) has stated that
around
750 000 tons of relief food is needed to
feed
6.5 million vulnerable people in southern
Africa before
June 2004.
The WFP
regional director for southern Africa
said that
food is needed for distribution to six countries
in the region, particularly to Zimbabwe and
Mozambique. In July 2003
the WFP appealed for
US$ 308 million to provide half a million tons
of food. So far it has got pledges of
US $73
million, including US$ 9.2 million from the
OPEC
Fund, but there is still a shortfall of US$ 235
million. He stressed that although the food
situation has improved in several southern
African countries the population of poor and
vulnerable people is still large.
HIV/AIDS is a major threat to food security in
the region. Many aid agencies have stressed that
food shortages will worsen if urgent actions are
not taken to stop its spread. The
head of the Food, Agriculture and Human
Resources directorate at the SADC secretariat
told journalists that the HIV/AIDS
vulnerabilities at household level impact on
food production in the region. "The food
shortages were caused mainly by two droughts in
a row, plus floods aggravated by general
reduction of resources allocation and the
HIV/AIDS pandemic" she said.
The SADC executive secretary
announced that
14 million people in the region
are HIV positive, representing about 51% of all
infections in Africa, and
37% in the world,
making it the worst affected region. The March
edition of SADC's Barometer publication noted
that in all affected countries HIV/AIDS has
worsened the food shortage.
It has resulted in
reduced agricultural productivity and increased
demands on a declining working population for
food provision. Nearly 30 million people in
Africa are
living with HIV/AIDS, including 3
million children
under
the age of 15.
Southern Africa faces a complex humanitarian
crisis that combines drought, economic and
agricultural problems, large-scale repatriation
of refugees, resettlement of internally
displaced people and poverty. The situation is
compounded by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has
had
a devastating social and economic impact on
local communities. Zimbabwe and southern
Mozambique,
in particular, face major food
deficits. In Angola,
the end
of the 10 year long
civil war has revealed enormous
post-conflict
needs with hundreds of thousands of displaced
people waiting to return home. The European
Commission has approved a €25 million aid
package to support victims
of the humanitarian
crisis in southern Africa. The funds will help
meet the food, water, sanitation and health
needs of vulnerable people in nine countries.
Attention will be given
to emergency food aid
for vulnerable groups (in particular,
malnourished children) and logistical support
for food aid operations. This will include,
emergency agricultural rehabilitation work;
water, sanitation and health, including
nutritional surveillance; emergency aid for
refugees, internally displaced people and
returnees. The emphasis
will be on durable
solutions including access to health and
education, and support for farming activities.
There will also be concrete support for the
coordination of international humanitarian
efforts.
The EC Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
partners working
in southern Africa
(UN
agencies, members of the Red Cross and
non-governmental organisations) will implement
the programmes.
An OPEC Fund delegation is also in the region
assessing priorities and holding talks with
ministers and commissioners, including finance,
agriculture and economic development and
national planning. The delegation is visiting
warehouses, food distribution centres and
child-care and health-care institutions assisted
by the WFP. The UN body is implementing the
Fund’s Special Food Aid Grant, which covers nine
African countries. |
