Like much of southern Africa, the small, landlocked country of Lesotho is experiencing a prolonged drought and resulting food shortages. Unseasonably heavy rains, hailstorms, pest infestations and poor soil management also have contributed to the lack of crop production. To make matters worse, much of the population can't afford the high prices of imported food. Nearly 445,000 people -- 20 percent of the population -- will need emergency food aid over the next 10 to 12 months, especially the residents of the Quacha's Nek, Quthing and Mohale's Hoek districts. It is estimated Lesotho will need about 162,000 tons of total food aid.
CARE's Response
CARE is developing several proposals that combine short-term food aid with assistance for agricultural production over the next two to three seasons. Working with the government of Lesotho, we're also considering providing technical assistance to the National Vulnerability Assessment (NVA), including design, implementation and analysis.
