ETHIOPIA (4 August)
Harvesting of the 2003 short "belg" season crops has just been completed. Overall a considerable improvement over last year’s belg crop is being reported but erratic rains have affected crops in several parts of the country. Normally, the belg season crops are harvested from June to August and the crop accounts for some 10 percent of total grain production but in some areas it provides most of the annual grain production. Currently, the main “meher” cropping season is well underway in almost all parts of the country
Over the past several months, serious food shortages and high malnutrition levels were witnessed in several parts of the country, particularly in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Recent reports indicate that the total number of people in need of food assistance in 2003 has risen from 12.5 million to 13.2 million. In response to the growing food crisis in SNNPR, a United Nations Country Team Support Office (UNCTSO) was set up in the regional capital Awasa to help address the current crisis in more co-ordinated manner.