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Southern Africa needs urgent food aid -U.N
2005-11-02 08:01:54
By A Correspondent
Nearly 10 million people in six southern African states face severe food shortages and many will die unless the international community provides aid soon, a United Nations agency warned yesterday.
The World Food Programme said it was still $157 million short of some $400 million it needs to help Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe feed their people until the next harvest in April 2006.
’’The children of southern Africa need help now - before their tiny emaciated bodies appear on television screens,’’ said Mike Sackett, WFP director for southern Africa.
The six countries, which are facing their fourth consecutive year of food shortages, have been hit by a combination of poor rains, inadequate fertilisers and seeds and the devastating AIDS epidemic, he said.
’’People are struggling to survive and the harshest months are still ahead ... It is tragic that there is so much wealth in the world but so little of it is ever shared,’’ Sackett added.
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