UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
FAO PRESS RELEASE:PR 99/48e Africa Report [19990809]

FAO PRESS RELEASE:PR 99/48e Africa Report [19990809]

UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION PRESS RELEASE

PR 99/48e

NEARLY 10 MILLION PEOPLE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA NEED EMERGENCY FOOD AID AS FOOD SUPPLY SITUATION WORSENS

Rome, 9 August -- Nearly 10 million people in sub-Saharan Africa need emergency food assistance, according to a report released today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In Somalia alone, "one million people are facing serious food shortages, with over 400,000 at risk of starvation."

The report, Food Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa, says the food outlook in Somalia for 1999 and beyond is "extremely grim, due to the cumulative effects of adverse weather, the long running civil war and uncontrolled crop pests and diseases." The current main season cereal crop has failed due to erratic and insufficient rainfall, armyworm outbreaks and unusually high temperatures. It is the seventh consecutive poor harvest since 1996, says the report.

In Ethiopia, the report estimates that more than 5 million people need emergency food aid, including 385,000 people displaced by the ongoing war with Eritrea. The magnitude of food shortages has increased in Ethiopia because the 1999 "Belg" season crop has failed due to inadequate rainfall.

Though Eritrea had a good harvest in 1998, the report calls the food situation there "very tight for families displaced by the war" as well as for deportees from Ethiopia. Across the border in southern Sudan, despite favourable growing conditions, the food situation continues to be difficult due to persistent civil conflict.

"Elsewhere in eastern Africa," the UN agency report says, "a prolonged drought has affected crop production and livestock in the western part of Uganda. Large numbers of farmers, particularly cattle producers, are reported to be in need of urgent assistance. Thousands are reported to have moved to northern Tanzania in search of water and pasture."

Kenya is reportedly facing crop and livestock production difficulties because of erratic and below-average rainfall during the current "long rains" season, while Tanzania has sustained serious localized crop failure in several regions, indicating a significant and unforeseen increase in import requirements.

The FAO report calls the food outlook for Angola "very bleak," reflecting the escalating civil war. It says there is large-scale population displacement in rural areas, with people abandoning their farms and homes to take refuge in government-held towns and cities or in neighbouring countries."

One million new internally displaced people (IDPs) in Angola are said to be in need of emergency food aid even though the country received average to above average rainfall and overall planting was near normal. However, yields were significantly reduced in many areas because people abandoned their fields for the relative safety of the towns and cities, many of which are cut off from the rest of the country by road closures caused by land mines and other security problems. Because of this, the report says that distributing relief assistance is "problematic" adding, it has to be mainly by costly air transport.

According to Mr. Mwita Rukandema, senior economist in FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture and the editor of the report, "If the stranglehold on cities and towns by UNITA continues, mass starvation of IDPs, particularly children, is almost inevitable."

In other parts of southern Africa, the report says, a tightening of the food supply situation is anticipated in countries where a reduced 1999 cereal crop was harvested. In South Africa, estimated cereal production is even below last year's below-average crop. As a result, the country's exportable surplus has been substantially reduced. In Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe, cereal output is below average for the second consecutive year.

The Great Lakes region continues to face food supply problems caused by "persistent insecurity and sporadic violence."

The report says there are hopes for an improved food supply situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the cease-fire agreement signed on 10 July in Lusaka, Zambia. It puts the number of (IDPs) in the DRC at 660,000, mainly in Kivu and Katanga provinces.

In Congo, renewed fighting between Government forces and Ninja militia has displaced large numbers of people and disrupted economic activities, seriously affecting the food supply situation, according to the report.

Burundi and Rwanda have suffered inadequate rainfall and an infestation of armyworms in some areas that affected the recently harvested 1999 B-season crops. The report also says that insecurity in parts of both countries has disrupted food production activities.

On the positive side, according to the report, crop prospects are generally favourable so far in most of western Africa, notably in the Sahel. The food supply situation is forecast to remain satisfactory until the next harvest, except in Sierra Leone. Implementation of a peace accord signed recently should improve the situation, the report adds.

Altogether, the report lists 16 countries* in Africa as "facing exceptional food emergencies." The causes are varied, including population displacement, civil strife, unfavourable weather, poor harvests and localized food deficits.

*Countries facing exceptional food emergencies are: Country Reasons for emergency Angola Civil strife, population displacement Burundi Civil strife and insecurity Congo, Dem.Rep of Civil strife Congo Civil strife Eritrea IDPs and returnees Ethiopia Drought, large number of vulnerable people, IDPs Guinea-Bissau Civil strife, population displacements Kenya Weather adversities in parts Liberia Impact of past civil disturbances, shortage of farm inputs Mauritania Localized deficits Rwanda Insecurity in parts Sierra Leone Civil strife, population displacement Somalia Drought, civil strife Sudan Civil strife in the south Tanzania Food deficits in several regions Uganda Civil strife in parts, drought

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The complete report, "FOOD SUPPLY SITUATION AND CROP PROSPECTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA" produced by FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System will be available shortly on the World Wide Web through FAO's Home

Page: http://www.fao.org/, click on Economics, next click on GIEWS Early Warning, then click on Food supply situation and crop prospects in sub-Saharan Africa.

For information contact: John Riddle, Media Officer at telephone number: (39) 06 57 05 32 59, or e-mail - john.riddle@fao.org

Enquiries should be directed to:

FAO Media-Office (Media-Office@fao.org) John Riddle, 0039-06-5705 3259, John.Riddle@FAO.Org Liliane Kambirigi, 0039-06-5705 3223, Liliane.Kambirigi@FAO.Org Erwin Northoff, 0039-06-5705 3105; e-mail: Erwin.Northoff@FAO.Org

Item: irin-extra-188

[This item is delivered through the "irin-extra" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but is not written by IRIN and may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information or free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or fax: +254 2 622129 Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D

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