The Zambian government has banned with immediate effect the exportation of maize, the country’s staple food, due to the current food shortages caused by famine, an official said on Tuesday.
”Exports of maize have been banned until the food situation gets back to normal,” Agriculture Minister Mundia Sikatana said.
About 1,2-million Zambians out of a population of 10-million are living in starvation after their crop was either washed away by floods or scorched by an unrelenting drought that hit the southern country last year.
The Zambian government said it requires at least 200 000 metric tons of relief food to avert hunger that has affected mainly the southern and western parts of the country.
”We are doing everything possible to avert this hunger. That is why we have imposed a ban on all maize exports,” Sikatana said.
Zambia is among several southern African countries hit by famine. – Sapa-AFP