NIVASHNI NAIR, Johannesburg | Thursday
ZIMBABWE, Zambia and Malawi were experiencing a humanitarian crisis and were struggling to survive because of food shortages, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) regional director Judith Lewis said on Thursday.
Addressing journalists in Johannesburg on her visit to those three countries and Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland, Lewis said the food shortages were attributed to severe droughts, the Aids epidemic, price escalation, a foreign currency shortage and insufficient support by governments for smaller farmers.
”Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi are the top three countries that are in trouble. Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho do have a broader window and has about three more months to really filter food.”
She said in Zimbabwe she saw thousands of people queuing up in Harare to collect basic staples.
”There has been a severe drop of food production due to the government land acquisition activities and erratic rainfall. The vulnerable throughout Zimbabwe are also experiencing hardship due to high inflation, declines in employment and unprecedented HIV-infection levels,” she said.
Lewis said the political problems in Zimbabwe did play a role in food shortages and there were reports of political pressure when it came to the WFP’s distribution of food.
”I sent a written statement to the implementing group stating that the WFP will not have its food politicised.”
She said in Malawi and Zambia the food shortages were largely attributed to drought.
”People have nothing to eat. They are eating green maize and grass. There is also an increase in theft. People are afraid to go to weddings and funerals because their crop will be gone when they get back,” Lewis said.
She said the WFP needed US69-million (about R748-million) to solve the food problems in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. However, the agency only received US3-million (about R33-million) in total from South Africa, Finland, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Australia.
Lewis said the crisis needed urgent international action to avoid a widespread humanitarian disaster soon.
She said the WFP was assessing the situation and would release an analysis on the issue in May. – Sapa