Lesotho faces food shortages

2005-05-16 23:19

Maseur - Lesotho is facing a fourth successive year of severe food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Early assessment of the 2004/5 harvest showed there would be some improvement in the cereal yield, although it was expected to be below the five year average.

According to the WFP, domestic cereal production in 2003/2004 was estimated at only 49 000 tons, which was half of the previous year's production and one third of the five-year average.

"The poor harvests led the government to declare a State of Emergency in February 2004, appealing to the international community for food assistance," said WFP.

The most important factors resulting in poor food production were erratic rains, a reduction in the area cultivated and very limited use of fertilisers and improved seeds.

"In addition, new job opportunities have not been able to make up for the rising unemployment due to retrenchments in the South African mining industry," said WFP.

Plagued by poverty, Aids

The population of Lesotho was struggling with extreme poverty and a HIV/Aids rate of 31 percent.

According to the WFP Assessment Unit, chronic illness and deaths of productive household members have a negative impact on crop production.

WFP said even without the impact of HIV/Aids, the declining crop production would continue if steps were not taken to reverse soil erosion, soil degradation, and declining soil fertility.

"Especially as only 10 percent of the land is suitable for cropping. In the mid-1970s, average maize and sorghum yields across the country were about 1 400kg per hectare, but they now average only 450-550 kg/ha," states WFP.

Preventing food shortages

WFP has embarked on a Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) from January 2005 to December 2007 aimed at preventing severe food shortages in vulnerable households that have not yet recovered from recurrent shocks over the past three years of food insecurity.

PRRO will be carried out through school feeding and take-home rations for vulnerable pupils, Food-For-Work, support to TB patients and people on antiretroviral treatment.

These activities aimed to improve the livelihood outcomes of the poor, and safeguard the nutritional well-being of vulnerable segments of the population — such as people living with HIV/Aids, orphans and vulnerable children, expectant and nursing women and the elderly.

The Operation planned to feed 600 000 beneficiaries per month from the first quarter of 2005 — a figure that would gradually drop to 80 000 by the final quarter of 2007.

However, due to lack of sufficient contributions and thus lack of food aid, during the second quarter, April-June, WFP Lesotho plans to reach 447 070 beneficiaries.

Lesotho is part of WFP's regional PRRO amounting to US$404m for 2005-2006 other countries covered by the PRRO include Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia.

- SAPA