FAO says 10 million Africans need food

Nearly 10 million people in sub-Saharan Africa need emergency food assistance, according to a report released Monday by FAO.

It says in Somalia alone "one million people are facing serious food shortages, with over 400,000 at risk of starvation."

The report titled "Food Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa," adds that the outlook for Somalia for 1999 and beyond is "extremely grim, due to the cumulative effects of adverse weather, the long-running civil war and uncontrolled crop pests and diseases."

The report also says the current season of cereal crop has failed due to erratic and insufficient rainfall, armyworm outbreaks and unusually high temperatures. It is the seventh consecutive poor harvest since 1996.

In Ethiopia, the report estimates that more than five million people need emergency food aid, including 385,000 people displaced by the ongoing war with Eritrea. The magnitude of the food shortages has increased in Ethiopia because the 1999 season crop failed due to inadequate rainfall.

In southern Sudan, despite favorable growing conditions, the food situation continues to be difficult due to persistent civil conflict, the report says.

Elsewhere in Africa, a prolonged drought has affected crop production and livestock, the same source adds, noting that 16 African countries face exceptional food emergencies.

The causes are varied, including population displacement, civil strife, unfavorable weather, poor harvests and localized food deficits, says the FAO report.