Hunger rate still high despite sufficient food output

Hunger is still a major problem in southern Africa

Millions of people in Southern Africa are facing hunger despite the fact that the region produced enough food to meet more than two thirds of its food requirements over the past year. This emerged at the end of a two-day United Nations meeting attended by various humanitarian agencies in Fourways today.

Assessment missions by United Nations agencies in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia made the stark findings. Judith Lewis from the United Nations World Food Programme says Zimbabwe faces acute food shortages with 5.5 million people in need of food aid. According to her, the country's controversial land reform programme has contributed largely to this crisis. She says the programme is using a zero tolerance approach to see to it that food aid is distributed fairly in Zimbabwe.

In Zambia cereal production is estimated at 1.16 million tons. This is almost double the output in 2002. Despite the crises facing the country, the government of Zambia rejected genetically modified food aid last year. Lewis says they have managed to distribute this aid to other countries in need of aid.

One of the biggest reasons for continued food aid assistance despite increased overall food availability is the on-going HIV/Aids pandemic. Kathleen Cravero from UNAids says the food crisis and the Aids pandemic in the region influence each other.

Despite all the negative factors about the food crisis in the Southern African region, general food production has been better than last year. Henry Josserand from the Global Early Warning System says the general food security situation has improved, thanks to increased production in Zambia and Malawi. Albert Muchanga from the Southern African Development Community says programme strategies have been put in place to deal with possible droughts or flood in the region. He says this could ensure that the upward production of food is repeated in the next year.

The World Food Porgramme says it will continue to address the regional crisis with the launch of a one-year emergency operation in the weeks to come. The programme will target vulnerable groups like child headed families, women and the elderly. A continued focus on the ravaging effects of the HIV/Aids pandemic on communities and food security in the region will also remain sharp throughout the region.