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7 May 2003, Rome -- The UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a report released today called for
more food aid pledges and accelerated emergency food deliveries in
Eritrea, Ethiopia and Mauritania to avert possible famines.
Calling overall harvest prospects in southern Africa
"generally favourable" with the exceptions of Zimbabwe, parts of
Swaziland and southern Mozambique, the report warned that food and
crop prospects in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa remain
unfavourable with 25 countries facing food emergencies.*
That number remains unchanged since FAO issued its last
report on the region in December 2002.
Food Supply
Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa reports that
the food supply situation in several countries of sub-Saharan
Africa, particularly in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mauritania and Zimbabwe,
remains grim mainly due to severe droughts in previous agricultural
seasons. The report also calls for "specific measures," such as
feeding and watering points and easier access to markets, to provide
relief to the livestock sector.
The escalation and/or
continuing conflict in a number of countries, including Burundi,
Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of
Congo and Liberia, has aggravated food insecurity by disrupting
agricultural activities.
There has been widespread
destruction of assets, looting and population displacement in the
Central African Republic, which suggests reduced food production for
this year. In the Republic of Congo, a resurgence of fighting in the
areas surrounding the capital of Brazzaville has displaced at least
84 000 people. An Ebola outbreak in the Cuvette region has further
aggravated the humanitarian situation.
For the many
countries affected by conflict and adverse weather, including
Angola, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe, the report calls for
agricultural rehabilitation assistance that provides such things as
seeds, hand-tools and fertilizer to help farmers resume agricultural
production.
In southern Africa, the report says that farmers
need help in marketing any available surplus under favourable
conditions, and in preparing for next cropping season.
The
report indicates that cereal import requirements in sub-Saharan
Africa in 2003 are expected to remain high, reflecting mainly the
effects of last year's droughts in southern, eastern and western
Africa. FAO puts the total food aid requirement at 4.6 million
tonnes, against the 2 million tonnes it estimated in 2001/02.
Cereal food aid pledges for 2002/03, including those carried
over from 2001/02, amount to 2.1 million tonnes of which
1.7 million tonnes have so far been delivered.
Food
Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa is
based on information collected by FAO from various sources in the
field, including UN agency staff, governments, non-governmental
organizations and representatives of the Southern African
Development Conference (SADC) and the Comité Permanent Inter-Etats
de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS). Additional and more
detailed information will be available once ongoing joint FAO/World
Food Programme Crop and Food Supply Assessment Missions to Angola,
Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe are
completed.
*The 25 countries facing food emergencies are:
Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Contact:
Contact:
John Riddle
Information
Officer, FAO
john.riddle@fao.org
(+39) 06 570
53259 |
