FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.1 - April 2005 p.3
Eastern Africa
The food situation in Sudan is very alarming in several parts, including Darfur in the west and areas in the south as a result of conflict, population displacements and drought.
In Eritrea, food insecurity remains a serious problem due mainly to the impact of successive years of poor rains. Additional food aid pledges and deliveries are urgently needed in view of the lean season which begins in June.
More food aid pledges are also needed in Ethiopia, notwithstanding recent increased deliveries and the start of the productive safety net programme.
In Uganda, the food situation in Karamoja continues to deteriorate due to drought, and insecurity in northern and eastern parts continues to claim the lives of civilians.
Southern Africa
Prolonged dry spells and reduced precipitation during the critical month of February have undermined crop prospects in several countries, including Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
Better crop prospects are seen in much of Angola, northern Zambia, northern Malawi and northern Mozambique.
The first official forecast of maize output in South Africa, the subregion�s largest producer, is placed at 10.52 million tonnes representing an improvement of about 11 percent over the previous five year average.
In Zimbabwe, vulnerable populations are particularly at risk during this critical lean period. Household food security remains precarious due to high unemployment, low purchasing power and unaffordable food commodities.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic was named as a contributing factor in declaring a state of emergency in Lesotho and Swaziland; the disease is affecting the entire subregion.
Western Africa
In the Sahel, high prices and shortages of millet in the areas that were affected by desert locusts and poor rainfall in 2004 are causing serious food security concerns.
The food situation remains critical in Mauritania, the most affected country, where thousands of rural households are in need of emergency food assistance. Mauritania has faced several years of drought and poor harvests and the ability of a large number of people to cope with this situation has been exhausted.
In C�te d�Ivoire, insecurity, labour shortages and a growing separation of the northern and southern halves of the country continue to disrupt agricultural production and marketing. Food production has been satisfactory in the south, but remains below average in the north and west. Smallholder cash crop producers are experiencing significant losses of income, and household food security has suffered from the disruption of livelihoods, especially in the west.
In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, food assistance continues to be needed for internally displaced people and refugees.
Central Africa
Harvesting of the first season (2005A) crops is now complete. Production estimates in Burundi indicate a decline of about 5 percent in total food production leading to a food deficit of 310 000 tonnes in cereal equivalent.
In Rwanda,preliminary estimates indicate that about 30�000 tonnes of food aid would be required in 2005.
Renewed disturbances in Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo are a cause for concern especially for the resettlement of newly arrived/arriving IDPs and returnees.