Agricultural recovery vital for southern Africa says Red Cross Red Crescent
16 October 2002

Today, on World Food Day, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is stressing the need to get an agricultural recovery underway in the countries affected by the growing food crisis in southern Africa.

A chronic lack of food in Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe is having a long-lasting impact on the social fabric of the region, with many families being forced to make hard choices about how best to survive the lean months between now and the harvest expected next March.

"Agricultural recovery is critical to the ultimate success of the overall relief effort. It's vital that the Red Cross and other actors go all out to ensure timely distribution of seeds and tools to have a good harvest by March next year, otherwise the crisis will deepen," said Hisham Khogali, food security specialist at the International Federation.

There is growing evidence that many of the 14.4 million people threatened with hunger and starvation in the affected countries are being forced to take drastic measures to survive in a region where HIV/AIDS infection rates average 25 per cent of the adult population.

"What we are seeing through household surveys is that people are making hard choices. In worst cases, families are going entire days without eating anything substantial. Often they are being forced to take children out of school because they can no longer afford the school fees," said Khogali.

With the HIV/AIDS pandemic already having a devastating impact on the economies of these countries, the food crisis looks certain to compound the effects on long-term livelihoods, unless speedy action is taken.

"The use of coping strategies will accelerate in the coming months with disastrous consequences for the social fabric in the region, unless we continue distribution of food and support to WFP transport efforts until March next year." Khogali added.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Harare
Solveig Olafsdottir, Regional Press Officer - Tel: + 263 91 345 936

In Geneva
Roy Probert, Press Officer - Tel: + 41 22 730 42 96 / + 41 79 217 33 86

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.