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Africa News afrol News
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Africa News afrol News
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afrol.com, 27 September - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced a six-month- extension of its emergency operation to assist some 172.000 people still facing severe food shortages due to Mozambique's worst floods in living memory. The extended operation will cost an additional US$ 6,8 million, bringing the total funding needs for the current emergency feeding operation which began in February to US$ 42,8 million. "The emergency is by no means over yet," said Georgia Shaver, WFP’s Regional Manager for Southern Africa. "WFP is still feeding over 150.000 people per month and with the current agricultural outlook in these affected areas this number is very likely to increase towards the lean period at the end of the year." Tens of thousands of farmers are unable to grow their own food largely because agricultural land is still water logged. The rainy season, which normally starts in December, could further worsen farming conditions particularly in the low-lying areas. A nominal amount of rain could result in flooding. Many farmers who have been able to plant have found their crops to be of poorer quality than usual and will not harvest enough food to see them through the lean period until the next harvest. "We are still helping communities to recover from the devastating floods, but there is still a lot to be done - and the rainy season is just around the corner," Shaver said. "We hope donors will continue to be generous with this vital assistance to Mozambique." At the height of the crisis, WFP was feeding 650.000 people per month. As the emphasis shifted away from free food distribution towards food for work programmes aimed at helping the local community rehabilitate/reconstruct damaged infrastructures, that number has sharply dropped. WFP has distributed over 50.000 tons of food since the beginning of the flood emergency in Mozambique. Source: WFP
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