UN Says African Food
Crisis Threatens 14 Million
Excerpt By Darren Schuettler, Reuter's Health

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The United Nations said that more than 14 million people faced starvation in southern Africa where drought, HIV-AIDS and politics are blamed for the region's worst food crisis in a decade.

In the latest assessment of the threat to six countries, UN special envoy for humanitarian needs James Morris said the number of vulnerable people ahead of next year's harvest had jumped to 14.4 million from 12.8 million in May.

"This is the largest humanitarian regional crisis in the world today," Morris, who also heads the UN World Food Program (WFP), told reporters at the end of a regional tour.

"The human devastation to the most vulnerable people in these six countries is overwhelming," Morris said, adding that the crisis was exacerbated by AIDS which has left four million children orphaned and strained health care resources.

Morris, who led a two-week mission to the region, said 36% of the WFP's $507 million request for donor aid was confirmed. Another 30% was being finalized.

This latest assessment of the food crisis--affecting Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho--was conducted as planting gets underway for what is expected to be a dismal crop.

"Prospects for next year's harvest are bleak unless small-scale farmers immediately receive adequate supplies of seeds and fertilizer in time for the planting season, just one month away," Morris said in a statement.

Morris said food imports to the region from both commercial and humanitarian relief had been lower than expected, causing food prices to soar and limiting people's access.

ZIMBABWE HARD HIT

Government policies in the region have also been a factor.

"Policy impediments on critical issues such as market liberalization and land reform are leading to greater insecurity, and are yet to be resolved by governments," the statement said.

In Zimbabwe, where a state land drive has been blamed for disrupting farming operations, the number of vulnerable people has climbed to 6.7 million people from six million in May.

President Robert Mugabe has ordered white farmers to leave their land so it can be redistributed to landless blacks, saying the measure is aimed at reversing a legacy of colonialism.

"Zimbabwe at one time was the bread basket of these six countries, so the change in agriculture output affects everyone," Morris said.

Morris, who met with Mugabe during his trip, said the amount of food aid to Zimbabwe would be increased to 55,000 tons a month from 10,000 tons. He said Zimbabwe had also lifted its objections to accepting gene-altered food aid.

Mugabe's main opposition has accused the government of using food aid it controls as a political weapon by withholding supplies to opposition supporters.

Morris said he had made to clear to Mugabe that the WFP would not tolerate interference with its programs. "The president has assured us that there will be no political interference and we can go anywhere in the country."

In Zambia, where the number of people threatened has climbed to 2.9 million from 2.3 million, the government is resisting deliveries of genetically modified food aid until its own scientists assess its safety.

Morris said the WFP was looking at substituting wheat for maize in Zambia, but he hoped to have a final answer from the government on the GM issue in the coming days.

The other five countries have agreed to accept some form of GM food aid, including milled grain, which is more widely accepted because it cannot be planted, Morris said.

Reference Source 89

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