AFRICA: In eastern Africa, serious food shortages have emerged in parts, particularly in Eritrea, parts of Ethiopia and Kenya mainly due to poor rainfall. In southern Africa, the number of people in need of food aid due to poor harvests has increased to 14.4 million. Delayed commercial imports and food aid are resulting in rapid deterioration of the food security situation. In the Democratic Republic of Congo the food supply situation remains difficult due to persistent conflict and dry weather in southern parts. In western Africa, harvest prospects are unfavourable in Cape Verde, Mauritania, The Gambia and Senegal due to a long dry spell in July.
ASIA: In Afghanistan agricultural production has recovered strongly but years of civil strife and recurrent droughts have rendered millions of people dependent on food assistance. In DPR Korea, additional pledges are needed to cover emergency relief until the end of the year. Typhoons and an erratic monsoon have seriously damaged infrastructure, displaced millions of people and caused loss of thousands of lives, notably in Bangladesh, China, India and Nepal, while Mongolia, parts of Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been hit by drought. The food situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is grave due to continuing confinement of families under curfews.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: In Central America, food assistance is being provided in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua to households affected by last year's drought and by the severe crisis affecting the coffee sector. The western parts of Cuba have been hit by Hurricane "Isidore", the impact of which is not yet assessed. In South America, freezing temperatures and snowstorms in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia have affected thousands of small farmers and their livestock.
EUROPE: Wheat output in the EU has risen this year by about 13 percent to 104 million tonnes, but aggregate output of other grains is likely to be down overall. Among the eastern European countries wheat production has dropped sharply in Hungary and Romania, but elsewhere, cereal production is expected to be around last year's level. In the European CIS, cereal production is forecast to decline by about 6 percent. In the Russian Federation, international food assistance continues to be provided to IDPs in Chechnya and Ingushitia.
NORTH AMERICA: In the United States, total wheat production in 2002 is estimated at about 46 million tonnes 14 percent down from the previous year's below-average output. Prospects for the maize harvest have deteriorated since the previous report due to exceptionally dry conditions throughout the summer. Maize output is now forecast at 225 million tonnes, about 6 percent below last year's about-average crop. In Canada, following one of the worst droughts on record in the main grain producing areas, wheat output is set to fall to 15.4 million tonnes, well below last year and the average. A sharp drop in barley output is also forecast.
OCEANIA: Prospects for the 2002 winter grain harvest have deteriorated sharply in Australia following widespread dry conditions throughout the first five months of the growing season. Total wheat output is forecast at just 13.5 million tonnes, down from almost 24 million tonnes last year.