Drought and Locusts Worsen Food Shortages in Six African Countries, UN Says
New York, May 10 2005 11:00AM
Appealing for $11.4 million, the United Nations agricultural agency said today that last year’s drought and locust
infestations have intensified food shortages in six Sahelian countries, pushing up prices and forcing herders to move
into new locations where they cause conflicts.
In Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and northern Senegal, the price of millet has been climbing, while the
price of livestock has been falling, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.
“Access to main food staples is increasingly difficult for vulnerable households and pastoralists. Severe child
malnutrition is increasing rapidly. Reports from Mali’s Kidal region show that one-third of children under the age of 3
are suffering from severe malnutrition,” FAO said in its appeal.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has asked for money to feed about 750,000 children in Niger, of whom 150,000 are
suffering from severe malnutrition, it added.
In Niger and Mali, subsidized food is on sale, while in Burkina Faso, the Government has distributed cereals in the
affected communities, FAO said.
“Italy, Norway and the United States have provided $2.1 million for the delivery of seeds, animal feed and veterinary
services. More funds are urgently needed to respond to the worsening situation,” FAO said.
ENDS