The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today (October 5) launched an appeal for CHF 35 million (ZAR175 million, US27million) to assist 1.6 million people in seven countries in Southern Africa for nine months.

The appeal will provide food, agricultural support and safe drinking water to people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe who are affected by widespread drought and a food crisis.

It is estimated that 10 million people in southern Africa are living on the brink of food insecurity.
“We need to act immediately to avoid a tragic deterioration in an already alarming situation,” said FrançoiseLe Goff, head of regional delegation for the International Federation in southern Africa.

“Urgent humanitarian action is needed in Southern Africa to assist people caught up in the triple threat of a rising HIV and AIDS rate, erratic rainfall and weakened government capacity. With food prices rising, many families are simply not coping.”

An assessment by the International Federation in August 2005 found that people in Southern Africa most vulnerable to food shortages are people living with HIV and AIDS, households with orphans, female-headed households, people with disabilities and households headed by older people.

The current food insecurity emergency is part of a worrying trend of an increasing number of households in Southern Africa becoming chronically food insecure.

The International Federation appeal aims to meet the immediate food needs of 1.6 million people until the harvest of 2006, set up food-for-work projects, restore self-reliance in agriculture, ensure access to safe water, and train people in each country’s Red Cross society on livelihood and food security.

 “We need to save lives now and do what is necessary to protect livelihoods in the long term,” said Le Goff. “The challenge to the international humanitarian community is to work more closely together to deal with these huge needs. We must meet the acute problems now while also addressing chronic livelihoods needs. That is why this appeal addresses relief and recovery simultaneously.”

For further information, or to set up interviews (ISDN line available in Geneva), please contact:
In Harare:
Tapiwa Gomo
Phone: 26 39-134 5936

In Geneva:
Rosemarie North, Media officer
Phone: 41 22-730 4296 or 41 79-217 3386
Duty Phone: 41-79 416 3881

The Federation, the national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For further information on Federation activities, please see our web site: www.ifrc.org