17 Sub-Saharan African Countries Facing Food Emergencies:FAO

In sub-Saharan Africa, 17 countries are facing exceptional food emergencies caused by difficult weather conditions, persistent civil strife and insecurity, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report published Wednesday.

These countries are Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone.

In the Horn of Africa, the specter of another drought is haunting several countries, FAO said in the report entitled "Food Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in sub-Saharan Africa".

In Ethiopia, some 6.5 million people affected by successive droughts and the war with Eritrea depend on food assistance.

The food outlook in Eritrea remains bleak with large numbers of the displaced farmers unable to return to their farms and large tracts of land still inaccessible due to landmines.

As for Somalia, prospects for the 2001 main cereal crops are poor due to insufficient rains. Despite the good harvests in the last two seasons, severe food difficulties may emerge reflecting the poor rains, slow recovery from a succession of droughts and long-term effects of years of insecurity.

In Kenya, despite an overall improvement in food supply, inadequate rains in May and June, particularly in pastoral districts, have dimmed hopes of recovery from the effects of the recent devastating drought.

The recent escalation of the conflict in southern Sudan has displaced a large number of people and aggravated the already precarious food situation due to drought. The number of people that need assistance is currently estimated at about 3 million and is expected to increase.

In southern Africa, food production has significantly declined in several countries, due to lower plantings and adverse weather. Maize output, which accounts for over 90 percent of the sub- regions' total cereal production, is estimated at 13.7 million tons, 26 percent lower than in 2000 and well below average.

In Zimbabwe, "the food supply situation is tight for large sections of the population," the report stated. This year's main maize crop is estimated at some 1.5 million tons, 28 percent lower than last year.

"Cereal production has been affected by a sharp decline in the area planted on the large scale commercial farms due to disruption by land acquisition activities, and in the communal farm sector by payment delays by the Grain Marketing Board," the report added.

In Swaziland and Lesotho, import requirements have increased sharply compared with last year due to large drops in 2001 cereal production.

Zambia, Namibia and Botswana have also suffered significant declines in coarse grain production.

In western Africa, the food situation is particularly tight in parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Liberia.

Food emergencies also persist in the Great Lakes region.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the food and nutrition situation of an estimated 2 million internally displaced people is very serious. In Burundi, increased insecurity has displaced large numbers of rural people, disrupting food production and marketing activities, while in Rwanda the security situation remains precarious in parts.






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