From now through 2003, up to 35 million people in Africa will need food aid. USAID is working with its partners--the World Food Program, other donors, and the private voluntary community--to deliver up to 2.75 million metric tons of food to help meet this need. Further, USAID is working with the governments to address longer-term structural problems, and to this end is launching four new special initiatives this year in Africa in agriculture, trade, education, and good governance. Each of these will contribute toward increasing agricultural productivity, which is fundamental to Africa’s efforts to reduce widespread poverty. Agriculture is the foundation for most African economies, supporting over 70% of the population and contributing an average of 30% of gross domestic product.

Southern Africa

Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be in need of humanitarian food aid between now and next year's harvest. Among the principal factors are drought, floods, poor policy and economic mismanagement. A contributing factor is the debilitating rate of HIV/AIDS infection in southern Africa. The United States has delivered or pledged more than 500,000 metric tons of food aid since the beginning of 2002. At a total value of more than $270 million, the U.S. government is the largest donor to the World Food Program's operations in southern Africa.

Horn of Africa

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, millions of people are vulnerable to food shortages brought on by a severe drought. USAID had been monitoring the situation through its Famine Early Warning System, and started sending emergency food assistance in July 2002. Since then, the United States has provided more than $198 million in food assistance to Ethiopia and Eritrea, or approximately 500,000 metric tons of food.

Sudan

With the recent cessation of hostilities, and both parties agreeing to unhindered humanitarian access, the World Food Program expects that its caseload will increase significantly. Most recently, USAID contributed 46,030 metric tons of food assistance, an estimated value of $40.1 million.

Angola

Angola continues to require emergency food assistance especially during the critical pre-harvest months of December and January. In 2002, the US Government contributed over 130,000 MTs of food aid valued at nearly $100 million. USAID continues to carefully monitor the humanitarian situation in Angola and continues to support the emergency food aid operations undertaken by WFP.

Uganda

Concerns continue regarding the crisis in the north resulting from the ongoing terror campaign by the Lord's Resistance Army. A total of 45,000 metric tons of food aid have been pledged since December 2002. This amounts to 42 percent of the total amount of food needed by affected populations in the north of the country for the first six months of 2003.