Famine rife in Southern Africa

2003-09-25 22:03

Lusaka - Six southern African countries are still faced with famine and require more food aid to solve the crisis, which has been caused by poor rains, an official of the UN food agency said here on Thursday.

Sheila Sisulu, deputy executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said that Zambia and Malawi were the only countries in the region that have managed to produce adequate food this year.

"Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe are the worst affected," Sisulu said.

Despite having produced enough food, Zambia and Malawi have areas hard-hit by drought that require food aid from the UN agency, she added.

Sisulu is visiting southern Africa to assess the levels of famine a year after the drought-ravaged region suffered widespread food shortages.

"The hunger situation has also greatly worsened the HIV/Aids situation in the region," Sisulu said.

The other countries Sisulu is expected to visit are Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

- AFP