The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday applauded three new donations towards last Monday’s half a billion dollar appeal for millions of people facing starvation in six southern African countries.
Britain has donated $28,1-million, Canada has given nearly one million dollars and the Netherlands has contributed 500 000 dollars, the WFP said in a statement.
”The British, Canadian and Dutch contributions will be used to immediately purchase some 50 000 tons of food for distribution throughout the region. Cash donations are particularly valuable because they enable the WFP to purchase food in the region, and begin distributing it as early as in one month’s time,” the humanitarian agency said.
Britain, Canada and the Netherlands were the first countries to formalise their donations to the WFP’s $507 million appeal for close to one million tons of food aid for Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho.
The WFP’s regional emergency operation was designed to help feed 10,2-million people until the next main harvest in March 2003.
Major contributions from other donor countries were being finalised, the agency said. Britain’s contribution to the WFP’s regional appeal in Johannesburg was signed on Friday by Sam Sharpe, head of the UK’s Department for International Development in Southern Africa (DFID) and WFP regional director for East and Southern Africa, Judith Lewis.
”People in Britain are very concerned about the worsening food situation in Southern Africa. British Ministers wanted to respond as quickly as possible to the WFP regional appeal announced last Monday. July,” Sharpe said, adding that Britain was immediately allocating 18,75-million pounds towards the cost of emergency operations.
”This contribution is in addition to British support for non-government organisations. DFID’s total contribution to the region’s short term needs amounts to 45-million pounds,” he said.
”These donations are timely and crucial. However, we need similar contributions immediately if we are to prevent another catastrophe in southern Africa,” said Judith Lewis, the WFP’ regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa. ”Seven million people in the region are very hungry now and that number will only grow over the coming months.”
According to the WFP statement, at least 12,8-million people would require food aid in the region over the next nine months. – Sapa-DPA