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afrol News, 13 September - Although much was being done, "further support" from the international community was needed to forestall the looming humanitarian crisis caused by the food shortage in Malawi, a UN envoy to the region says. 2.1 million Malawians are at risk of famine. The UN the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the humanitarian crisis in southern Africa, James Morris, yesterday appealed for more help for the famine victims in southern Africa, in particular for Malawians. The number of people at risk of famine in Malawi soared this month to 2.1 million from 500,000, Morris reported. At the same time, resources pledged so far stood at just 57 per cent of the US$ 144 million needed for food and other supplies. "The number of people in need will jump again to 3.2 people million in December, when the crisis is expected to peak," the Envoy warned. - I've been greatly heartened by the clear commitment and relentless efforts of relief workers and Malawian communities to meet the tremendous challenges they face, James Morris, said in Malawi, where he was continuing his two-week tour of the six most-affected countries. "But while major steps have already been made, the magnitude of this crisis demands an even greater response over the coming months." Railway reparations Built in 1970, sections of the track had fallen into major disrepair, which worsens during the rainy season, forcing the trains to move at a 10-kilometre-per-hour crawl and creating a two-month backlog in freight, according to WFP. Urgent repairs were needed along a 77-kilometre stretch of the rail line, close to the border with Malawi. The UN reports that the Canadian Government had already pledged over US$ 250,000 and there were promising signs that the United Kingdom would come forward soon with a significant contribution, the agency further said. Eight locomotives would also be leased in order to improve the capacity of the railway. The governments of Malawi and Mozambique had agreed to contribute to the maintenance of the track and the locomotives.
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