World Food Programme Issues Call for Further Increase in Food Aid as Response to Deepening Food Crisis in Southern Africa--10 Million at Risk of Starvation

 On July 1, the World Food Programme (WFP) launched a massive appeal to provide emergency relief food in southern Africa. WFP is asking for $507 million (US dollars) to fund close to one million tons of food, enough to feed 10.2 million people until the next main harvest in March, 2003. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a situation report on July 26 describing the humanitarian crisis that affects Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland, and is the worst that southern Africa has experienced for a decade. 

Photo: World Food Programme

(World Hunger, Malawi, July, 2002) On a ridge overlooking the village of Gwengwe, Malawi, lies a field of graves. A few of them are old, concrete-covered tombs. The rest-- row upon row upon of them-- are mostly unmarked mounds of fresh earth. Over 70 people were buried in Gwengwe's hastily expanded cemetery in the first four months of this year. Most were men. All were victims of the district's severe food crisis.

WFP estimates that seven million people require food immediately with this figure rising to just over 11 million from September to November and projected to peak at 12.8 million from December to March, 2003. To date in 2002, WFP has fed 4.6 million.

 WFP warned that these numbers could easily rise as the crisis becomes more acute, requiring the agency to enlarge its appeal. Over the next few months, experts will closely monitor the region's food security.

Many donors have already recognized this and have contributed to WFP's previous and current appeals in southern Africa. However, new donations are urgently required, according to WFP, as it is vital to pre-position enough supplies before October when the region's rainy season starts, when many rural areas will be rendered inaccessible.

Photo:  WFP/W.Othman Copyright 2002

Mphako village, 80 km north of Lilongwe - Louisa shows the handful of roots collected by her children, which will constitute her family's only meal of the day. Erratic rainfall and the lack of both seed and chemical fertilizer have devastated the family crop for a second consecutive year. For more than 12 months, Louisa, her six children and husband have been surviving from a diet of wild foods.

An on-the-ground report from John Jeter of the Washington Post on May 10 gives a description of the human face of the suffering in the current Southern Africa food crisis, as well as specifying the human factors which have intensified the crisis. Interviewing Lucas Lufuzi of Mchinji, Malawi, a poor farmer who is struggling to raise two grandchildren after his son recently died of AIDS and hunger, Jeter reported the following:

In his lucid moments, Lufuzi recites the numbers, calibrating his catastrophe.  Three days since he has eaten.  Thirty-one tiny cobs of unripe green corn.  Two grandchildren to feed. One son: 29 years alive; 21 days dead. Two seasons of crops spoiled by erratic weather-- rain one year drought the next.  'I have never seen such starvation.  When my grandchildren's feet began to swell from hunger, I had no choice but to harvest the crops before they were ready. This,' he said nodding to a basket of shriveled corn, 'is all that keeps us from death.'

Jeter also noted political factors worsening the crisis.  Very disturbing was the sale by Malawian government officials last year of the country's 167,000-ton grain reserve.  The proceeds have not been accounted for, and, as a result of the sale and the murky circumstances surrounding the sale, donors have frozen $75 million or more in aid payments.  Full story.  

WFP believes that food aid to the region will at least need to double, including Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland, in order to avoid severe hunger. Prices of basic foods have risen astronomically, a key indicator of severe food shortages. In Malawi, for example,  prices of corn, a basic part of the food supply, have risen several hundred percent. The WFP believes the response on the part of food aid donors (the United States is by far the largest food aid donor) will need to be rapid.  Full story.

In late March, WFP issued an warning about the situation. Noting the lack of food aid committed up to that point, WFP’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Judith Lewis noted, “If we can’t get enough food to feed 2.6 million people right now, what will happen when potentially millions more need our help in the months ahead? Much more must be swiftly done to stave off the spread of hunger and malnutrition.”

In late February, as previously reported in Hunger Notes, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Association issued a report describing the agricultural situation and saying that four million people would require food assistance.

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