|
| Fabian Makandauko and his 5-year-old daughter, Yvoune, with their cassava plants in Southern province. (© CARE 2002/A. John Watson) |
|
The food-supply situation in Zambia continues to be tight and is raising the prospect of severe food shortages and hunger among as many as 3 million people -- nearly a third of the total population.
Erratic rainfall has caused the widespread failure of the country's maize crop, Zambia's chief staple food. The severe drought has particularly affected Eastern and Southern provinces, which are its main maize-producing areas. This is the latest in a series of chronically poor or erratic harvests caused by drought over the past 10 years.
Signs of the growing food crisis already are evident in Eastern, Southern and Western provinces. Few stalks of maize have managed to grow to full height or to produce more than a single, half-developed cob of grain. The maize crop in Southern and Western provinces is almost entirely failed; most farmers predicted harvests of 1 to 3 percent of a reasonably good year. Other important food crops, such as cowpeas, groundnuts, sweet potatoes and pumpkins, also are badly affected and will produce almost nothing. More drought-resistant food crops, such as sorghum and bulrush millet, have fared slightly better but also have been adversely affected by the unusually severe drought.
In rural areas, people live close to hunger between harvests in the best of times. Now, they must use traditional coping strategies to make the most of the little food they have. People picked the few stunted maize cobs they could for immediate consumption. They reduced their daily meals from two or three to one. They also reduced the amount of food in each meal. Many people are substituting and supplementing their diet by eating wild fruits and vegetables, including magongo nuts (used as a relish or to make cooking oil), wild okra and wild cassava. But the drought has affected the availability of these foods, which, in any case, are insufficient for sustained health for any length of time. And while people continue to barter or sell their chickens, cattle or goats, prices are dropping steadily.
The food crisis also can be seen in local markets, where increasingly expensive maize is in short supply. Maize meal is being sold in small packages (two pounds or so at most), as few rural people have enough cash to purchase the usual quantities at one time. Also, food-relief efforts have been hampered by a government-imposed ban on the importation and distribution of genetically modified food.
CARE's Response
CARE's work benefits nearly half a million people in Zambia. In coordination with the World Food Programme, we're feeding approximately 150,000 people in three of the hardest-hit areas of Southern province. In addition, we've begun a food-for-work project and a supplementary feeding program for children and refugees in these areas. As part of a seed-for-work project, CARE distributed seeds, cuttings and fertilizer to 30,000 households.
In 2002, CARE completed a food and crop assessment in 12 districts of Southern and Western provinces. The three-week assessment collected data on crops, rainfall, food availability, livestock, coping strategies, population, local infrastructure and institutional capacity. We're sharing the results with Zambian officials and local partners to help plan future food relief. CARE also provided technical assistance to other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) planning assessments in critical regions, such as Eastern province.
The food-supply situation in Zambia continues to be tight and is raising the prospect of severe food shortages and hunger among as many as 3 million people -- nearly a third of the total population -- in the coming months.
Erratic rainfall -- less than half the annual average -- has caused the widespread failure of the country's maize crop, Zambia's chief staple food. The severe drought has particularly affected Eastern and Southern provinces, which are its main maize-producing areas. This follows a poor harvest in 2001 (24 percent smaller than the previous year) and chronically poor or erratic harvests caused by drought over the past 10 years.
Signs of the growing food crisis already are evident in Eastern, Southern and Western provinces. Here, rural areas have not seen rain since January, and fields of maize are burnt dry and wilted in the hot sun. Few stalks have managed to grow to full height or to produce more than a single, half-developed cob of grain. The maize crop in Southern and Western provinces is almost entirely failed; most farmers predicted harvests of 1 to 3 percent of a reasonably good year. Other important food crops, such as cowpeas, groundnuts, sweet potatoes and pumpkins, also are badly affected and will produce almost nothing. More drought-resistant food crops, such as sorghum and bulrush millet, have fared slightly better but also have been adversely affected by the unusually severe drought.
In rural areas, people live close to hunger between harvests in the best of times. Now, they must use traditional coping strategies to make the most of the little food they have. People already have picked the few stunted maize cobs they can and have dried them for immediate consumption. They already have reduced their daily meals from two or three to one. They've also reduced the amount of food in each meal. Many people are substituting and supplementing their diet by eating wild fruits and vegetables, including magongo nuts (used as a relish or to make cooking oil), wild okra and wild cassava. But the drought has affected the availability of these foods, which, in any case,are insufficient for sustained health for any length of time. And while people continue to barter or sell their chickens, cattle or goats, prices are dropping steadily.
The food crisis also can be seen in local markets, where increasingly expensive maize is in short supply. Maize meal is being sold in small packages (two pounds or so at most), as few rural people have enough cash to purchase the usual quantities at one time. Also, food-relief efforts have been hampered by a government-imposed ban on the importation and distribution of genetically modified food.
CARE's Response
As of September, CARE's work benefited nearly half a million people in Zambia. In coordination with the World Food Programme, we're feeding approximately 150,000 people in three of the hardest-hit areas of Southern province. In addition, we've requested funding to begin a food-for-work project, and possibly a supplementary feeding program for children and refugees, in these areas. CARE also is procuring seeds, cuttings and fertilizer for 30,000 households. The supplies will be distributed in October as part of a seed-for-work project.
Earlier this year, CARE completed a food and crop assessment in 12 districts of Southern and Western provinces. The three-week assessment collected data on crops, rainfall, food availability, livestock, coping strategies, population, local infrastructure and institutional capacity. We're sharing the results with Zambian officials and local partners to help plan future food relief. CARE also has agreed to provide technical assistance to other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) planning assessments in critical regions, such as Eastern province.
|
