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UN World Food Program announced a US $3.2 million funding shortfall
for an emergency operation aimed at reaching 170,000 people still
facing severe food shortages in Mozambique after two consecutive
years of floods. WFP in January extended its emergency
operation to the end of March, at an additional cost of US $4.1
million. However, "funding to this latest phase of the
operation has been sluggish, whereas WFP's appeal last year for US
$9.2 million to feed flood victims was fully funded," an
agency statement said.
More than one-third of the country's total number of districts produced much less food last year than normal.
Crop
assessment missions were carried out in May and September 2001 in
all provinces except Cabo Delgado by the ministries of agriculture
and rural development, health, the National Institute for Disaster
Management, the statement said. The missions concluded that more
than one-third of the country's total number of districts produced
much less food last year than normal. "The fact that
most of these districts were also in need of emergency assistance
last year due to flooding and localized dry spells, as well as a
general rise in the price of the main staple foods, has aggravated
the current food security status of the poorest and most food
insecure families. The normal coping mechanisms of many families
have disappeared, and they have resorted to selling off their few
assets in order to buy food, which is more expensive than usual,"
the statement said.
After three consecutive years of flooding, WFP and other UN agencies
have collaborated in an extensive contingency planning process with
the government, and NGOs. These plans are now being put into
operation in readiness for possible additional needs in the current
rainy season, and WFP has already pre-positioned some 2,400 mt of
food throughout the country, the agency noted. Weather forecasts
predict normal to above normal rainfall over areas which have still
not recovered completely from previous floods.
(From IRIN)