FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.1 - May 2003 p.1
This is the first of the three 2003 issues of this report prepared by the FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) on the food supply situation, cereal import and food aid requirements for all countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The report is designed to provide the latest analysis and information on the food situation in these countries to governments, international organizations and other institutions engaged in humanitarian operations.
Starting with this issue the report, particularly in Part I, attempts to consolidate and streamline information previously contained in different sections.
In this introductory part, countries in the sub-region facing serious food shortages are listed with principal causes of food insecurity. This is followed by the Highlights of the report. Part I provides a country-by-country review of the food supply situation by sub-region, as well as current crop prospects. The accompanying tables (Tables 2-7) have been streamlined and clarified, to provide data on production, cereal import requirements and food aid needs. The information on food aid pledges, triangular transactions and local purchases is based on data transmitted to GIEWS as of late April 2003 by the World Food Programme.
Part II, renamed �Cereal Supply/Demand Situation in Individual Countries� provides country cereal balance sheets (CCBS), highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements of individual countries, as well as other important data.