CARE Predicts Southern Africa Food Crisis Will Worsen In Coming Years A new report by CARE has determined that the severe food crisis already threatening up to 12 million people in Southern Africa is very likely to get worse in years to come unless new urgent interventions are implemented. CARE offices in Southern Africa have identified approximate amounts needed to fund emergency and long-term interventions. CARE USA is seeking donations to an Emergency Response Fund, which will pool money to be distributed throughout the region. Summary of Food Report Up to 12 million people in southern Africa face severe shortages of food in the coming months. Food insecurity is especially dire in Zimbabwe and Malawi, with growing needs in Zambia, Lesotho and Mozambique. The underlying causes can best be described as a “Triple Threat” — repeated poor harvests due to erratic rainfall; the growing impacts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the abilities of people to farm or engage in other productive activities; and, finally, the weakening capacity of governments in the region to respond. Food aid is needed, but food aid alone is insufficient. CARE emphasizes comprehensive responses, including short-term food needs, as well as supporting the ability to grow food or earn money to buy food and pay for other necessities. CARE also addresses long-term causes of food insecurity and poverty. The following represent country-specific snapshots: Malawi More than 4.6 million people are now in need of assistance, and the food situation is worsening. CARE is providing food to about 300,000 people and is distributing seeds and fertilizer to 20,000 farmers with families totaling 82,500 people Examples of Urgently Needed Interventions: Zimbabwe Up to 6 million people in Zimbabwe will need food assistance between January and March. International agencies are planning to provide food to more than 3 million people. Food is hard to find, prices are skyrocketing above most people’s ability to pay and the country has a critical shortage of both fuel for distributions and foreign currency. CARE is distributing food to over a million people — to schools, vulnerable feeding programs and home-based care projects for people living with HIV and AIDS. Also, a model for community savings and loans that was pioneered by CARE has been extended throughout Zimbabwe to cover 50,000 participants. Food crises are almost always mitigated for savings and loan participants, who are also able to save money at rates better than inflation. Examples of Urgently Needed Interventions: Zambia More than 1.7 million people in Zambia need immediate food. Increasing numbers of women and children are at heightened risk of malnutrition as household food stocks deplete. CARE is delivering food to more than 300,000. In partnership with WFP, CARE is also reaching approximately 20,000 vulnerable children through a school feeding program. CARE is leading a consortium to support diversified agricultural production in drought-affected districts. This includes water harvesting and micro-irrigation, seed stock for drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum and cassava, and livestock. Examples of Urgently Needed Interventions: Mozambique As many as 801,000 people are in need of immediate food assistance. The government has declared an emergency for the southern provinces, where there is also a shortage of water. Maize production was cut by up to 40 percent and severe malnutrition is increasing, particularly for children under 5. CARE has various programs to improve water and sanitation in Mozambique. CARE is also implementing an integrated HIV/AIDS program in close collaboration with provincial and district health authorities in five districts. Examples of Urgently Needed Interventions: Lesotho More than a half million people face food shortages in Lesotho. The country’s national adult HIV prevalence is over 30 percent. This situation requires multiple responses that address food security and nutrition in appropriate ways. CARE is distributing about 3,750 tons of food to 4,800 people in food-for-work activities in the Senqu River Valley. Over 8,000 people are benefiting from CARE projects to support homestead nutrition gardens that use water, soil and labour conserving practices that enable production of fruit and vegetables. Nutrition gardening also has been introduced in 21 primary and secondary schools to grow food for consumption by students and child-headed households. Examples of Urgently Needed Interventions:
CARE urges donors to support programs to counter long-term crisis
About $70,000 could help 3,500 people improve their own food production this year. About $60,000 could expand existing village savings and loan support to set up clubs for 1,000 clients; once established, these clubs become self-financing. About $250,000 could purchase protein-rich beans to be distributed to 10,000 people over the next five months.
About $500,000 could provide emergency food aid for three months to 150,000 people during the height of the hungry season beginning in February. About $80,000 could help 7,000 people improve their own food production by expanding existing projects to repair dams, extend community gardens and promote drought resistant practices for crops and livestock. About $75,000 could expand savings and loan activities to provide special assistance to 1,000 households (5,500 people) caring for orphans, vulnerable children and adults who are chronically ill with HIV/AIDS.
About $2 million could help provide High Energy Protein Supplements to thousands of families. Every additional $10,000 used to buy this simple way of treating the moderately malnourished would help almost 3,000 children. With just $100,000, CARE can increase coverage in several villages in badly food-insecure districts.
About $300,000 spent over eight months could help CARE assist 30,000 to 40,000 families with equipment, seeds, training and extension services. About $580,000 would help 50,000 to 60,000 families have access to clean water in five districts in the Inhambane province.
With $300,000, CARE can help 15,000 vulnerable people improve production of staple foods and extend the growing season for an extra three months through irrigation and micro-dam projects. With $250,000 more, CARE could deepen and expand school gardening work at 25 schools with up to 3,750 students. About $100,000 more could extend nutrition gardening to 800 members of HIV support groups and recipients of home-based care.
Media Contacts:
Johannesburg: Kenneth Walker, walker@caresa.co.za, +27 11 234 1221
Atlanta: Lurma Rackley, CARE USA, lrackley@care.org, (404) 979-9450
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