Over 6.5 mn people in S Africa face severe hunger

UNITED NATIONS: Over 6.5 million people in southern Africa will face "severe hunger" unless donations pick up, the United Nations food agency has warned.
So far the funding for the food aid in the region has been less than half of what is needed, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said.
"Unless WFP receives immediate donations, 6.5 million people will face severe hunger at the most critical time of year," the period between planting and harvesting, WFP said.
WFP said $193 million were needed to fund a $311 million appeal, launched in July, for food aid for Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia and Lesotho.
"Generous contributions have helped to stave off immediate cuts in WFP food distributions, but from January, countries across the region are confronted by the three-month lean season," said Mike Sackett, WFP regional director for southern Africa.
"Supplies of locally produced food in critical areas will be scarce and people''s ability to cope is already limited because of the food shortages of recent years."
The shortages are acute in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where food availability has decreased, WFP said, with Zimbabwe accounting for about two thirds of the appeal. WFP has been carrying out emergency feeding here since 2001.