AFRICA - Hunger alarm in southern Africa: almost 9 million people risk starvation

Rome (Fides Service) - There is a growing food alarm in southern Africa. “The government of Malawi has written to foreign ambassadors asking for international aid because the food shortage is destined to become worse in the coming months” said local Church sources. “The government of Zambia next door has not done this perhaps because it thinks the situation is less serious”. The last harvest in Malawi was the lowest in 10 years. Poor harvests are the result of irregular climatic conditions, impact of AIDS on farming communities which has decimated the labour force and the lack of fertiliser. Between April and July the price of cereals rose 50% in southern Malawi and 21% in the centre of the country. It is estimated that in Malawi alone about 2 million people have to rely on international aid.
Another country at risk in Mozambique where hundreds of thousands of people may die unless the international community meets the dramatic food shortage immediately. Here too one cause of the food shortage is an AIDS pandemic which affects the rural labour force. In Mozambique ceral prices in rcent months have increased by 30-40% depending on the area.
According to the World Food Programme 190 million dollars are needed to supply food for 8.5 million people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia until the crisis peak which will last from December to April. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/9/2005 righe 24 parole 291)