Food Situation Worsens in Africa

ROME - May 10/05 - SNS -- the food situation is worsening in parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and northern Senegal as a result of last year's droughts and locust infestations, says the FAO.

Millet prices continue to climb, while livestock prices have been falling, the agency said. The conditions for livestock production are deteriorating due to scarce pasture and water resources. The movement of animals in search of water and feed has already led to local conflicts.

Access to main food staples is increasingly difficult for vulnerable households and pastoralists. Severe child malnutrition is increasing rapidly. Reports from Mali's Kidal region show that one-third of children under the age of three are suffering from severe malnutrition

In Niger, an estimated 2.5 million people in around 3,000 villages risk food shortages. The government has been selling cereals at subsidized prices in affected communities, but with limited impact on the overall food situation. UNICEF has appealed for funds to feed some 750,000 children in Niger, 150,000 of whom are showing signs of severe malnutrition.

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