EU ups food aid to southern Africa, US may follow
Date: 12-Aug-02
Country: ZAMBIA
Author: Shapi Shacinda
EU spokesman Mwansa Pintu said in a statement published in the Zambian capital Lusaka that 30 million euros ($29.15 million) would be in the form of humanitarian aid and another 30 million euros in emergency food supplies.
"It is estimated that 300,000 tonnes of cereal, financed by the EU, will be distributed in the region this year, which will correspond to around 20 percent of the food needs estimated for the region in response to the crisis," Pintu said.
"Food and humanitarian aid have already been delivered to countries in the region via the EU's partners, which include the World Food Programme, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and local governments," he added.
Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique - as well as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi - are in the grip of a hunger crisis that aid agencies blame on drought and government mismanagement, including Zimbabwe's seizure of white-owned commercial farms.
Earlier last week, U.S. officials told a news conference in Lusaka the U.S government might increase emergency food supplies to the region because the situation seemed to be worsening.
GM DEBATE
Congressman Earl Hilliard also said the U.S. could divert 27,600 tonnes maize aid for Zambia to the other southern African countries faced with hunger if it continued to refuse to accept genetically modified (GM) maize.
Zambia has already received about 23,500 tonnes in food aid from the United States and an extra 27,600 tonnes had been earmarked for the country, where up to four million people are faced with starvation.
"The hunger situation is very grave," Hilliard said.
"We have gone to some parts of the country where people are almost starving, but if the government continues to refuse to accept GM maize, there is nothing we can do...we will divert it to other countries that will accept it".
Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa, who declared a national hunger disaster in May, said in July the country would not accept GM maize until it had held consultations with experts to determine whether it was safe for human consumption.
Vice President Enoch Kavindele announced on Thursday that Zambia would hold a national conference on Monday to allow scientists, civil society leaders, government officials and U.N agencies to discuss whether or not to accept GM maize.
Zambia faces a 630,000 tonnes maize shortfall. Capricious weather, drought and floods reduced Zambia's food production to 490,000 tonnes from 700,000 tonnes during the 2000/2001 season.
This was compounded by drought in key maize growing areas in the 2001/2002 season.
The U.S. officials said Zambia should make a quick decision on the GM maize, adding it was safe and that Americans had been eating genetically modified food for the past eight years.
The U.S said early this year it would provide 1.2 million tonnes of food relief to 12.2 million people in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique.
