Food Emergencies Update

In Western Africa, in spite of a generally satisfactory food supply situation, localized food insecurity is reported in several countries including Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Niger, mostly due to lack of access problems.Emergency food assistance continues to be needed in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for large numbers of IDPs and refugees as a result of civil conflicts.

In Central Africa, in the Central African Republic, the majority of the population face food insecurity following disruption in production and marketing activities as a result of civil conflict.

In Eastern Africa, severe flooding in the Horn of Africa, after several weeks of excessive rains, has resulted in loss of life, damaged infrastructure and housing and caused crop and livestock losses. Overall, it is estimated that up to 1.8 million people have been adversely affected by the floods in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. In affected pastoral areas of these countries, the floods follow drought conditions early in the year that resulted in acute food shortages and serious livestock losses. Emergency assistance operations to these populations are being hampered by impassable roads and bridges.
In Eritrea, despite the favourable outlook for the current main season harvest the food outlook remains difficult for large numbers of internally displaced people.
In Sudan, the continued humanitarian crisis in Darfur continues to give rise for concern. Hundreds of thousands of people could be displaced again should Darfur face an upsurge in conflict. In the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda, the overall food supply situation is adequate but food difficulties remain in parts due to localized drought and/or insecurity.

In Southern Africa, despite a significant improvement in most countries’ 2006 cereal harvests, food insecurity persists in several parts.
In Zimbabwe, the economic crisis continues to deepen with an estimated 1.4 million rural people (about 17 percent of the total rural population) unable to meet their minimum cereal needs during the 2006/07 season while, unemployment and inflation is increasing the number of food insecure in the urban areas.
In Lesotho and Swaziland, poor cereal harvests again in 2006 precludes an improvement in the food security of these countries, afflicted by problems of poverty and the impact of HIV/AIDS.
In Angola, despite economic growth and increased oil revenues, localized food insecurity persists for an estimated 800 000 vulnerable people. In Madagascar, the food security situation has worsened in southern parts because of drought this season.

In the Great Lakes region, the continuing civil strife in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has affected large numbers of people who need food assistance.
Food aid is also needed in Burundi following the reduced 2006 total food crops harvest, combined with resettlement of returnees and IDPs.

In Asia, food rations for millions of people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will remain reduced as a result of the suspension of food aid.
In Sri Lanka, continued fighting in the country remains a pressing humanitarian problem with some 130 000 IDPs reportedly without access to food assistance due to insecurity.
In Nepal, an historic agreement to end the 10-year civil conflict should have a significant positive impact on the country’s food security situation. However, food production in several regions has been compromised severely in 2006 by severe drought and floods.
Food insecurity persists in Timor-Leste, but is expected to improve with improvement in the security situation.
Severe localized food insecurity also persists in Indonesia due to the lingering effects of tsunami and earthquakes and in Pakistan due to floods and earthquakes. Emergency food aid is needed in some regions of Bangladesh after severe seasonal floods.

In the Near East, conflict and insecurity in Iraq has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
In Afghanistan, drought-reduced harvests in 2006 and increased military operations over the past year have deteriorated the food security situation in the country. Moreover, heavy rains and floods in late November in the western provinces of Badghis washed away several villages along the Murghab River, affecting some 50 000 families. Distribution of emergency assistance is being hampered by bad weather.

The food situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip also gives cause for serious concern due to food shortages and market disruption which are aggravated by current tense political situation.

Among the Asian CIS countries, a drought-reduced harvest in Armenia in 2006 has rendered large numbers of people food insecure in the current marketing year 2006/07 (July/June).

In Central America, assistance continues to be required for vulnerable people in Honduras, and Haiti where torrential rains in late November resulted in severe floods in the north-west region of Port-de-Paix.

In Europe, military operations and civil conflict continue to affect social and economic activities in Chechnya. Many internally displaced people require food assistance.