Donations Needed
CRS officials say the food security in southern Africa has been deteriorating over the past 15 years and is at its lowest level since 1992, when a devastating drought struck 10 countries in the region.
To help contribute to this emergency request, send donations to: Catholic Relief Services “Southern Africa Food Crisis,” P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090 or call 1-800-724-2530.
(This update courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
Looming Disaster
“The situation is critical, and we are seeking your help in alerting the American people to this looming disaster,” said Jennifer Lindsey, director of media relations for CRS. Lindsey will travel to southern Africa next month to help raise awareness of the issue with the U.S. press.
CRS reports that more than 6 million people in Zimbabwe will be in need of food aid by September when food reserves are expected to run out. The food shortage is due to a complex combination of factors, including a severe drought in the first quarter of 2002, disruptions in the farming cycle due to farm evictions based on the land reform program, and a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. One-out-of-four adults in Zimbabwe lives with HIV/AIDS.
In addition to Zimbabwe, other countries facing severe food shortages in the region include Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Swaziland.
Double Emergency
“We are working in the context of a double emergency,” said John Donahue, CRS regional director for Southern Africa. “We must respond forcefully to the food shortage while remaining focused on long-term programming that addresses the HIV/AIDS pandemic and agriculture programs that better prepare farmers for these cyclical droughts.”
Approximately 13 million people throughout the region are facing food shortages, requiring up to 1.2 million metric tons of food through March 2003 to avert the famine – the earliest that another harvest can be expected. People in the region who are not directly affected by the food crisis still face serious health risks from associated health problems, such as cholera and dysentery, with the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region exacerbating the problem.
CRS is working with local partners in southern Africa to distribute food to the most vulnerable and organize agricultural recovery activities, including the distribution of seeds and tools, as well as programs that promote the local production of seeds for the next planting season.
