UN General Assembly
1984

14. The Secretary General has called the attention of the international community to the deteriorating economic and social crisis in Africa, particularly in the drought stricken countries. This call could not have come at a more opportune moment, because we, in Lesotho, have experienced unprecedented drought for the past three to four years, resulting in famine, malnutrition and death. While we express our appreciation to those countries which have responded positively to the call, we must state that the situation is not getting better. Meagre resources have been redirected towards emergency programmes, leaving very little for normal development activities. We therefore take this opportunity to welcome the initiative of the FAO and the World Bank group in bringing to the fore the crisis situation in sub-Saharan Africa, of which Lesotho is an integral part. It is to be hoped that the international community will respond positively and generously to requests for assistance in order to alleviate the plight of the peoples of the region.