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WFP Emergency Report No. 26 of 2004
World Food Programme (WFP)
Extracted from Report 26 of 2004
June 25, 2004

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Southern Africa

Regional
(a) Addressing the press in Johannesburg after a visit to southern Africa, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, Mr. James Morris said southern Africa is being debilitated by the 'death spiral' caused by the confluence of HIV, food insecurity, burden on public administration and services, and most critically, the drain on human resources. Mr. Morris visited Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Namibia from 14 to 22 June to review how the UN system and the international community can strengthen its assistance to the region's most vulnerable people in battling the effects of food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, and the drain on human resources, which the pandemic causes. Southern Africa has the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. There are already 14 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa and the number is expected to reach more than 20 million by the end of the decade.

(b) Furthermore, Mr. Morris expressed concern that the UN Consolidated Appeal for southern Africa remains seriously under funded with only USD 327 million (53 percent) in confirmed donations to date, out of a requested USD 615 million. In particular, funds for non-food items, such as medicines, healthcare, education, water and sanitation supplies, are desperately needed with only 16 percent of resources for these items having been raised.

Zimbabwe
(a) Special Envoy Mr. Morris said his mission was disappointed not to be able to visit Zimbabwe, and hopes to do so in the not too distant future.

(b) The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) document was finalized and presented to the Government. The Government has reportedly approved the report and will present the key findings to stakeholders at a meeting on 28 June.

(c) Zimbabwe has a very high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, around 34 percent, one of the five highest in the world. It has at least 800,000 orphans because of HIV/AIDS and a life expectancy rate nearly cut in half. WFP and NGO partners in 2003 provided food to feed 6.5 million people. In March of this year WFP provided food for 4.4 million people. This month, after the harvest, WFP is providing food for 640,000 people, a huge percentage of them being children under the School Feeding Programme, another 15 percent being children under five. Malnutrition rates in the urban environment are very serious.

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