Appeal Number: 6455
Appeal Amount: $500,000
Situation Report
Earlier this year, CWS issued two appeals - Malawai Food Relief (#6444 for $100,000, issued March 13, 2002) and Zimbabwe Drought (#6446 for $100,000, issued May 14, 2002) - to support the response of CWS partners in southern Africa to the ongoing food crisis in the region. With the severity of the situation growing, CWS is now issuing a regional appeal which incorporates the response of partners in the earlier appeals, as well as adding additional response of partners in Zambia and Lesotho. This appeal will be updated as other responses are developed to address this regional crisis.
A major step in coordinating the work of CWS partners in the region was an Aug. 1-2 CWS Emergency Response consultation in Malawi. Partners from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesoto, Swaziland and South Africa and Malawi attended. In a report on the consultation, CWS ERP International Response Consultant Ivan DeKam provided the following description of the crisis.
Assessment
A large part of the southern African region experienced disastrous flooding in 2000 and 2001. Crisis response followed by rehabilitation and mitigation activities brought substantial relief to thousands. Ironically, during the past year's food production season, unusually dry conditions extended across the same general area of the region -- from southern Zambia eastward to southern Mozambique, including Malawi, large sections of Zimbabwe and parts of the northern and eastern provinces in south Africa as well as Lesotho. Crop failures and production declines occurred.
Although crops were planted in some cases, they died because the normal rainfall pattern did not prevail. Out of desperation, people consumed remaining seed stocks. Seed stock and food stocks are now depleted in many areas. Food stocks carried over from the previous year and the intra-regional trade of surplus commodities normally offset country and regional production shortfalls. But regional stocks were used to fill the previous year's food shortages and surplus commodities are limited. Zimbabwe is facing an enormous and serious food crisis, with approximately half its population -- 6,000,000 in all -- at risk. Governments of Malawi (February 27), Lesotho (April 22), Zimbabwe (April 30), and Zambia (May 28) have declared national disasters.
The government of South Africa is conducting an assessment in its northern and eastern provinces which is expected to confirm serious food shortages. South African commercial farms can probably meet local cereal needs, but will certainly not produce a sufficient supply to cover the region. At the same time, people may not be able to purchase food because of limited financial resources.
Government policies (Malawi and Zimbabwe), the already rapidly growing HIV/AIDS epidemic, resulting in a weakened and reduced labor force, and import restrictions on controversial genetically modified cereal have exacerbated conditions. A weakened population is also vastly more susceptible to diseases.
A summary of current and new responses by CWS throughout the region follows.
Emergency Appeal
PREVIOUS APPEALS HAVE INCLUDED THESE RESPONSES:
ZIMBABWE: CWS Goal: $150,000
Lutheran Development Service (LDS) Zimbabwe program in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces encompasses:
- Supplementary feeding emphasizing highly
nutritious nutrimeal porridge for 52,000 children in 121 schools to reduce
levels of malnutrition;
- Food-for-work programs - dam and irrigation
canal building, brick-making for school and health clinic construction,
silting and water pollution control projects, road repair -- involving
11,000 households;
- Provision of drought-tolerant crop (sorghum and millet) and maize seed packs to 11,000 households to build the capacity of farmers and communities to plant crops in the next growing season.
Christian Care has been working with the World Food Program (WFP) since the government declared the hunger situation in the country a national disaster. As a partner to the WFP, Christian Care has been distributing food to over 101,000 people in the two regions of Harare and Mutare. Christian Care is also:
- Making food immediately available to
more the 83,000 people in two districts of Gutu (Masvingo region) and Umguza
(Matabeleland region) over a period of seven months, until the next harvest
of March/April 2003. The food rations will include corn meal, edible beans
and vegetable oil.
- Providing supplementary food to almost
43,000 under five-year-old children in the two targeted districts over
the same period.
- Providing agricultural inputs (drought tolerant seeds) to approximately 15,513 households to produce their own food next season.
MALAWI: CWS Goal $200,000 :
The Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) is assisting some 26,000-30,000 persons in Chingale Division, Zomba District, Southern Malawi, in Balamanja, Masaula, Fikira and Nkasala villages. It plans to distribute 225 metric tons of food aid. This will include supplemental feeding for 6,000 children for a period of two to four months and providing maize and bean seeds.
Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) is distributing food in the districts of Nsanje and Salima: Corn to 19,000 farming families facing a critical food shortage in the Salima district. Cereal to 10,000 malnourished children in the Nsanje district.
CARD is also providing nutrition education to 10,000 mothers of severely malnourished children in the Nsanje district.
NEW RESPONSES:
LESOTHO: CWS Goal: $50,000
The Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL) is assisting 9,700 persons - or some 1,700 families -- at Ha Sekake in the Qacha's Nek district and Seforong in the Quthing district for 8 months -- up to April 2003 before the next harvest expected around May. The assistance will include distribution of maize, beans and cooking oil. Each person will receive 12.5kg of maize, 750ml of oil, and 1kg of beans per month.
Beneficiary families will alos receive sorghum seed to plant for the next season. CCL is also planning long-term training on disaster management and early warning systems.
ZAMBIA: CWS Goal: $100,000
Christian Council of Zambia plans to mobilize and distribute food and agricultural inputs in Choma, Gwembe and Luska; network with other partner organizations in disaster management so that food goes to the neediest to areas; organize and conduct training for affected communities on disaster and crop management and nutrition. The council also wants to distribute fertilizer and early maturing seed to farmers by September 2002 to prepare for the 2002/2003 growing season.
Some 1,500 households are being targeted for food aid:
- 50 kgs of maize per month for 9 months
(450 kgs). 675 tons (675,000 kgs) will feed 1,500 households in 9 months.
Each district will have 500 households as beneficiaries.
- 5 Kgs of beans per month (45Kgs) for
9 months. 68 tons (68,000 kgs) of beans will feed 1,500 households in 9
months. Each district will have 500 households as beneficiaries.
- 5 Kgs of groundnuts per month for 9 months (45 kgs). 68 tons (68,000 kgs) of groundnuts will feed 1,500 households in 9 months. Each district will have 500 households as beneficiaries.
An estimated 12,000 people (4,000 people per district) will be reached (eight family members per household).
CWS thanks its member denominations for their support of the earlier Zimbabwe Drought and Malawi Food Relief appeals. CWS encourages urgent support to this expanding response effort.
This appeal currently covers ACT appeals AFMW-22 (Malawi); AFZW-21 (Zimbabwe); AFZA-22 (Zambia); AFLS-21 (Lesotho). Donations may be designated to Southern Africa Food Crisis, Account #6455, CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515.
On-line contributions to: www.churchworldservice.org
Contact
Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800)
297-1516
donnajderr@aol.com