U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
SOUTHERN AFRICA - Complex Food Security Crisis
Situation Report #13, Fiscal Year (FY) 2002    October 4, 2002


Note: the last situation report was dated September 20, 2002.

BACKGROUND

A number of Southern African countries are currently experiencing food
security crises, due to a combination of adverse climate conditions for
two consecutive growing seasons, mismanagement of grain reserves, and
questionable government policies, primarily in Zimbabwe. During the past
production season, unusually dry conditions extended across much of the
region, from southern Zambia eastward to southern Mozambique, resulting in
crop failures and limited production in many areas. Normally, food stocks
carried over from the previous year and the intra-regional trade of
surplus commodities help to offset production shortfalls. This year,
however, regional stocks are exceptionally low, as they were drawn down to
fill the previous year's food shortages, and surplus commodities within
the region are limited. Zimbabwe is facing a serious humanitarian crisis,
with nearly half the population at risk. Humanitarian food crises also
exist in Malawi and Zambia. Poor and vulnerable households in Swaziland
and Lesotho and some parts of Mozambique also require food assistance. The
governments of several countries have declared national disasters due to
actual and anticipated food shortages, including Malawi (February 27),
Lesotho (April 22), Zimbabwe (April 30), and Zambia (May 28). In July, the
U.N. issued a regional Consolidated Interagency Appeal (CAP) to meet the
food and non- food emergency humanitarian needs in Southern Africa. The
U.N. appealed for $611 million from donors, including $507 million for
food aid through the U.N. World Food Program's (WFP) Emergency Operation
(EMOP). Since the beginning of 2002, in response to the food security
crisis, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided or pledged more than $282
million in humanitarian assistance through the U.S. Agency for
International Development's (USAID) Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP)
and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), and the
U.S.  Department of Agriculture (USDA). The majority of the humanitarian
assistance has been emergency food relief provided by USAID/FFP.



NUMBERS AT A GLANCE - POPULATIONS IN NEED

                            Max Percentage
                            of Total
             Max Number of  (Country/Region)  Cummulative Emergency
             Population     Population        Food Aid and Cereal
             in Need(1)     in Need(1)        Requirements (MT)(1)

Zimbabwe       6,700,000         49%                486,000
Malawi         3,300,000         29%                237,000
Zambia         2,900,000         26%                224,000
Lesotho          650,000         30%                 36,000
Mozambique       590,000          3%                 48,000
Swaziland        270,000         24%                 20,000
Total         14,400,000         25%              1,000,000

1 Anticipated populations and food aid needs are based on SADC FANR
assessments released on September 16, 2002. (Numbers are rounded.)

Total USG Humanitarian Assistance provided, to date    $282,705,946
Total USG Food Aid provided, to date, in Metric Tons (MT)   499,513



CURRENT SITUATION

Latest Shipment of U.S. Food Aid to the Region. The USAID-chartered ships
Liberty Grace, with 46,00 MT of food commodities, and M/V Amalfi, with
14,000 MT of food commodities, are scheduled to arrive in Southern


Africa during the week of September 30. The arrival of these two ships
will bring the total tonnage delivered to the region to approximately
260,000 MT.

Update on the WFP Emergency Operation (EMOP).  As of September 24, WFP
reported that 37 percent of the EMOP, issued on July 1, has been funded.
Nearly 70 percent of contributions so far are from the USG. WFP is facing
a shortfall in pledges of approximately $322 million for the entire EMOP.

Controversy Over Biotech-Derived Food Aid. Some governments in Southern
African have expressed concerns about biotech food aid. The Government of
Zambia (GRZ) announced on August 16 that it would not accept
biotech-derived food aid due to health and environmental concerns. On
September 5, in a reversal of its earlier position, Government of Zimbabwe
(GOZ)  announced that while it would accept biotech-derived food
assistance, the biotech corn would be quarantined in country and milled
before distribution. The governments of Mozambique and Malawi also share
concerns over the environmental effects of biotech food, but will accept
such food aid as long as it is milled before distribution.  Swaziland and
Lesotho have continued to accept all relief food aid of biotech origin,
provided it is milled.


COUNTRY UPDATES

Zimbabwe.  The September 16 Southern African Development Community's Food,
Agriculture, and Natural Resources Vulnerability Committee (SADC FANR)
report noted that Zimbabwe faces an unmet cereal gap of 379,020 MT, and 94
percent of farmers lack seed for the 2002/2003 planting season.  As a
result, 90 percent of households in the country will be dependent on grain
purchases. At present, 75 percent of households have less than 50 kg of
corn in stock.

According to the U.N. Relief and Recovery Unit in Harare (RRU),
approximately 47,500 MT of corn seed is available in the country. The
Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) announced that seed producers can raise their
prices by between 120 and 300 percent. The move is intended to encourage
the release of seeds for the upcoming planting season. The GOZ also
announced that it will provide small-scale farmers with 25,000 MT of corn
seed and 500 MT of small grains seed, which would be enough to plant up to
1.0 million hectares. However, there are serious shortages of fertilizer,
tractors, and implements and draught livestock have been severely weakened
as a result of foot and mouth disease in Masvingo, Matebeleland, and
Midlands Provinces.

WFP has distributed 44,742 MT to 825,000 Zimbabweans since February 2002.
In addition, in September, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) imported 5,707
MT, part of the contracted 50,000 MT, which should help to alleviate some
bread shortages in urban areas. According to the GMB, winter wheat
harvests are reaching depots earlier than in past years. As of September
24, more than 5,000 MT of wheat had been delivered to the GMB, compared to
zero MT in earlier years. Local media reports indicate that in addition to
dropping the import duties on wheat, the GOZ will provide $692,689 to the
GMB for the purchase of wheat from local farmers. Additionally, on
September 27, WFP, the GOZ, and the GMB agreed to a grain swap that would
allow WFP to trade 17,500 MT of U.S.-donated biotech corn to the GMB for
an equal amount of non-biotech corn.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of September 24, a
cholera outbreak in Masvingo Province has resulted in 462 reported cases
and 24 deaths. The outbreak is linked to poor water and sanitation
facilities resulting from the drought and the effects of Cyclone Eline.
WHO has provided $210,484 million for the purchase of drugs in response to
the outbreak.

Malawi.  According to the SADC FANR food security assessment, Malawi's
2001/2002 corn production was 1.6 million MT, 28 percent lower than the
five year average and six percent less than the previous year.  The
resulting crop deficit is 572,000 MT. The Government of Malawi is planning
to import 250,000 MT of corn to be sold at a subsidized price. Although
prices have begun to stabilize, they are highest in the worst-affected
southern and central regions.

WFP food distributions to 7,500 AIDS-affected households in Lilongwe,
Phalombe, Blantyre, and Chiradzulu Districts are scheduled to begin in
late October.

Zambia.  The SADC FANR assessment estimated that the unrecovered cereal
gap in Zambia is 439,000 MT.  The worst-affected areas are in the Southern
Province where between 90 and 100 percent of the households have run out
of grain stocks. The rapid increase in market prices has exacerbated the
situation. In addition, more than 70 percent of households lack seeds. The
Government of Zambia (GRZ) expects that the purchase of 40,000 MT of
roller corn meal from local millers will meet the country's food needs in
October/November.  WFP has also obtained permits to import 12,000 MT of
corn from South Africa for Zambia.

Mozambique. According to the SADC FANR assessment, while overall cereal
production in Mozambique for 2002 was five percent higher than in 2001, in
southern parts of the country production declined by 34 percent. Current
trends indicate that food prices could increase to levels beyond the reach
of poorer households. However, both cereal imports and winter cropping
look promising.

The Government of Mozambique distributed over 30,300 seed kits in the
southern and central provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Manica, and Sofala. The
Ministry of Agriculture also held an operational meeting with WFP, FAO,
donors, and the administrators of 48 drought-affected districts. Lesotho.
The SADC FANR assessment revealed that 48 percent of rural households in
Lesotho lack cereal stocks and are unable to afford most commercial food
commodities. Only 17 percent of households have legume seeds for planting.
The worst-affected districts are Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, and
Thaba Tseka. The assessment found that 7.5 percent of children under the
age of five in rural areas were either moderately or severely wasted
(weight to height ratio). However, these rates fall below the 15-20
percent levels deemed by the WHO to constitute a nutritional emergency.

Two new WFP sub-offices in Mohoktlong and Mafeteng are operational and are
expected to begin food distributions in early October. WFP assistance
currently reaches five districts. The Government of Lesotho confirmed that
it will fund the milling of 10,000 tons of US maize that has arrived in
Durban, South Africa.

Swaziland. According to findings from the SADC FANR assessment, crop
production in 2001/2002 was 33 percent lower than the five-year average.
As a result, Swaziland faces a food gap of 130,000 MT, 71 percent of the
total domestic requirement. The Government of Swaziland is preparing a
budget to cover 40 percent of the food gap faced by the country. Lowveld
and the Lumobo Plateau are the worst-affected areas, where corn prices
have doubled from last year. Chronic malnutrition affects 40 percent of
children under the age of five. Compounding food insecurity, 29 percent of
households are headed by one or no adults between the ages of 19 and 60.


USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Since the beginning of 2002, the USG has provided or pledged more than
$282 million in emergency humanitarian assistance in response to the food
security crisis.

USAID/OFDA has provided more than $10 million in non-food programs that
are currently underway in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, and Lesotho.
USAID/OFDA has also provided $1 million to WFP to assist with its regional
management and logistics coordination. In addition, USAID/OFDA will
continue to address needs in water and sanitation, coordination,
nutrition, and health, particularly preparing for outbreaks of endemic and
other opportunistic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, and
childhood diseases.

In addition to emergency humanitarian efforts for the food security crisis
in Southern Africa, USAID programs are designed to reduce the risk of
future crises through the Agricultural Initiative to Cut Hunger in Africa.
The primary objective of the Initiative is to have a rapid and sustainable
increase in agricultural growth and hence rural incomes in sub-Saharan
Africa. That initiative will accomplish its objectives in part through
advancing scientific and technological applications that will raise
agricultural productivity and create agriculture-based enterprises, and
improving the efficiency of, and participation in, agricultural trade and
market systems.

In response to the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Southern Africa
region, USAID's Africa Bureau (USAID/AFR) is supporting HIV/AIDS
prevention, control, care, and support initiatives, as well as programs
for HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, in Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. USAID/AFR also supports a
regional HIV/AIDS program in Southern Africa that focuses on cross-border
activities in the region.

USAID is also sponsoring the SADC Regional Workshop on the Safety of
Biotech Maize in Food Aid in Gabrone, Botswana in November. Participants
will include technical experts from Africa, Europe, and the United States,
along with technical advisors and policymakers from affected countries in
Southern Africa. The meeting will address the immediate technical and
policy issues related to biotech corn in food aid.



U.S. GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
SOUTHERN AFRICA FOOD SECURITY CRISIS

Country
Agency
Implementing Partner
Sector Description
Amount



Lesotho

USAID/OFDA

U.S. Embassy in Lesotho
Agriculture
$20,000

USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance:  27,210 MT
$13,605,000

TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO LESOTHO   $13,625,000



Malawi

USAID/OFDA

USAID/Malawi
Supplementary Feeding
$25,000

USAID/OFDA
UNICEF
Emergency Nutrition
$1,099,800

USAID/OFDA
Malawian Red Cross
Health
$100,000

USAID/OFDA
CARE
Agriculture
$772,552

USAID/OFDA
World Vision
Agriculture
$1,172,600

USAID/OFDA
CRS
Agriculture
$645,172

USAID/OFDA
WHO
Cholera Response and Prevention
$825,866

USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance:  84,880 MT
$42,440,000

Total USAID   $47,080,990



USDA

WFP
Section 416(b) Food Assistance: 3,000 MT
$1,243,382

TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO MALAWI   $48,324,372



Mozambique

USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance: 17,390 MT
$8,695,000

TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO MOZAMBIQUE   $8,695,000



Swaziland
USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance: 12,400 MT
$6,200,000

TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO SWAZILAND   $6,200,000



Zambia

USAID/OFDA

U.S. Embassy in Zambia
Transportation Logistics
$50,000



USAID/OFDA

CARE
Agriculture
$611,308

USAID/OFDA
CLUSA
Agriculture
$249,383

USAID/ODFA
World Vision
Agriculture
$627,869

USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance: 24,100 MT
$12,050,000

Total USAID   $13,588,560


USDA

WFP
Section 416(b) Food Assistance: 15,000 MT
$7,093,354

TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO ZAMBIA   $20,681,914



Zimbabwe

USAID/OFDA
UN OCHA
Field Coordination
$100,000

USAID/OFDA
UN OCHA
IDP Advisor and Monitor
$231,525

USAID/OFDA
CARE
Agriculture
$945,242

USAID/OFDA
World Vision
Agriculture
$549,072

USAID/OFDA
CRS
Agriculture/Nutrition
$1,099,822

USAID/FFP*
WFP
P.L. 480 Title II Food and Emerson Trust Assistance:    83,820 MT
$41,910,000

USAID/FFP*
World Vision
P.L. 480 Title II Food Assistance: 19,710 MT
$11,744,001

Total USAID   $56,579,662



USDA

WFP
Section 416(b) Food Assistance: 8,500 MT
$4,958,052


TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE TO ZIMBABWE   $61,537,7714


Regional Support

USAID/OFDA
WFP
Regional Management and Logistics Coordination
$1,000,000
Region (Country allocation to be finalized)



USAID/FFP*

TBD
Emerson Trust: 161,050 MT
$84,870,200

P.L. 480 Title II Food Assistance: 42,453 MT
$30,977,600



SUMMARY OF USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

USAID/Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)	  $10,125,211
USAID/Office of Food For Peace (FFP)*  $252,491,801
USAID Total  $269,411,158
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Total   $13,294,788
TOTAL USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, TO DATE   $282,705,946

* Note: USAID/FFP values are estimates. Commodities may be reallocated as
required to meet changing needs.


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
                                          web: www.cidi.org
                                     listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org