Southern region faces hunger as crops wilt

It said below-average precipitation and high temperatures experienced

during the past three weeks were expected to result in crop failures

in areas such as Masvingo, Gwanda, Bulawayo and part of Manicaland.

The soil water index for the affected areas is less than 10 percent.

Since December, below-average precipitation and above-average

temperatures continue to help strengthen seasonal moisture deficits

across central Mozambique, southern Malawi, southern Madagascar and

southern Zimbabwe, FEWSNET said.

The crop situation in other parts of Zimbabwe was equally bad, with

only small parts of the Mashonaland provinces having received

sufficient rains since the farming season started last October.

The US-funded FEWSNET has revised upwards the number of Zimbabweans

requiring food assistance during the lean hunger season beginning this

month amid fears donors may also encounter a serious cereal shortfall

until March 2010

It said close to 2.2 million people or 18 percent of the population

would be food insecure in Zimbabwe between January and March 2010, up

from an estimated 1.7 million Zimbabweans who were said to be in need

of aid between October and December.

This is higher than the previous projection of 1.9 million who were

estimated to require emergency food assistance between January and

Zimbabwes next harvest around March or April.

FEWSNET said the United Nations World Food Programme planned to scale

up its food assistance activities from January to cover the food

insecure population.

WFP was however projecting a major shortfall of more than 40 000

metric tonnes of cereals between December 2009 and March.

The UN agency announced last month that it faced a US$50 million

funding gap for its Zimbabwe operation until the end of the year that

could see the United Nations agency failing to feed the people who

require food aid.

The food pipeline shows a shortfall of nearly 35 000 metric tonnes,

with shortages of pulses and cereals experienced in November and

December.

The total WFP food requirement from October until the end of the

operation in March 2010 is approximately 138 000 metric tonnes for all

commodities.

To ease the food shortfall, WFP and non-governmental organisation

Concern Worldwide have started a pilot project that provides cash or a

combination of cash and food to Zimbabwean beneficiaries.