From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: SOUTHERN AFRICA: DROUGHT WORSENS, M
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:24:39 GMT

Reference: Agriculture
Title: SOUTHERN AFRICA: DROUGHT WORSENS, MORE AID NEEDED URGENTLY


an inter press service feature

by accadoga chiledi

windhoek, aug 26 (ips) -- the 10-member countries of the new
southern africa development community (sadc) need an additional
200 million dollars for an extra 150,000 tonnes of cereals in
relief aid as the worst drought in living memory worsens.

in june the sadc -- grouping angola, botswana, lesotho,
malawi, mozambique, namibia, swaziland, tanzania, zambia and
zimbabwe -- requested 854 million dollars from the international
community for food and non-food assistance.

international response has been ''favourable'', with about
600 million dollars in food aid and logistical support pledged
in geneva early june already granted.

the sadc leaders commended the international response, but,
given the seriousness of the situation, they say the aid so far
received is not enough. more is urgently needed.

meeting here aug. 17 to form the new community, the sadc
leaders reviewed the drought situation at length and emphasised
urgent measures are needed to avoid a ''catastrophe of
unprecedented proportions''.

meeting ahead of their leaders, sadc council of ministers
noted, ''with concern'', the sadc countries ''are experiencing
severe hardships caused by the widespread drought''.

the drought ''has decimated the (sadc's) crop harvest to
below half the normal yield of over 14 million tonnes'', the
ministers said in a communique.

according to the harare, zimbabwe-based sadc food security
unit, the current cereal position for the region is ''very
precarious'' as stock in all countries presently stand at
813,000 only -- equivalent to a little more than three weeks'
consumption requirements.

strategic grain stocks have been seriously drawn down in most
countries in order to meet the immediate consumption
requirements of the population.

''as a result, the region urgently needs to import an
unprecedented 7.2 million tonnes of cereals'', the ministers
emphasised in their communique.

acute food shortages are threatening about 18 million
people and adversely affect another 30 million people in the
sadc region. (more/ips)


southern africa: drought (2)

''food shortages are severest in malawi, mozambique,
swaziland, zambia and zimbabwe'', says the latest quarterly
bulletin of the sadcc regional early warning unit, 'food
security'.

in mozambique, at least 500 people have died, mainly in the
southern gaza province -- the hardest hit of the country's 10
provinces -- with serious cases of malnutrition reported in the
country and in south africa.

other major sectors of the region's economies, particularly
trade in agricultural products, livestock production, wildlife
and energy, have also been affected.

''further serious repercussions to member states are expected
as a result of the drastic water shortage for human and animal
consumption, and reduced water flow into major dams which
normally supply water to industrial complexes and hydropower
plants'', said the ministers.

concerned with this situation, sadc leaders have directed
their ministers of agriculture to make ''appropriate
arrangements'', in the event the drought continues into next
year, and make the necessary recovery measures should the
drought break.

the ministers of agriculture were specifically directed to
put in place a system for regional and national food security.
the sadc's ''cooperating'' partners have been called to assist
in these efforts.

in response to the worsening drought situation, namibia has
placed at the sadc's disposal 75,000 metric tonnes of mackerel,
namibia's minister of natural resources and fisheries told ips.

''this amount of fish, drawn from namibia's stratetic
reserve, is exclusively at the disposal of the sadc
countries within the framework of drought relief'', helmut
angula said.

meanwhile, officials of the sadc's special drought task
force meet here thursday to assess the drought situation and
follow up on pledges.

''we have lots of pledges, but we have not had a follow-up
mechanism'', roger w. buckland, a technical advisor to the food
security technical and administrative unit, told ips tuesday.

the meeting will also look at the logistics and transport
aspect of drought relief ''as potential bottlenecks in the ports
begin to show up'', buckland added. the bottlenecks include
wagon availability and slow turn-rounds. (end/ips/apc/ar/92)


-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african