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Misanet.com / Public Eye, 25 April - The southern African kingdom Lesotho has been declared to be in a state of famine by the country's Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili. In a nation-wide broadcast over the State Radio, Mosisili announced the seriousness of the situation and the steps to be taken. First famine-related deaths had already been registered. In a statement broadcast repeatedly over Radio Lesotho, the Prime Minister said Lesotho was currently facing "a very serious state of famine" arising out of a critical food shortage caused by several factors. The food shortages have been caused by, persistent drought, hailstorms, tornadoes, excessive rains and other unfavourable natural forces. The entire southern African region experiences a similar situation, food shortages being especially grave in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Mosisili said that another factor contributing to the crisis in Lesotho was the low exchange rate of the local currency, Loti, in relation to the US Dollar which has resulted in price increases of the imports and other goods, including grains, following the unfortunate events of September last year in the United States. The Loti is heavily dependent on the South African Rand, which significantly has lost value over the last year. The unfavourable agricultural conditions, which hampered food production in Lesotho, included the abnormally high rainfall during the 2001/2002 agricultural year, which adversely affected production of cereal crops, the Prime Minister explained. Mosisili said the planting of summer crops last year was also hampered by heavy rains, which started from September last year to the beginning of this year. The problem was exacerbated by repeated hailstorms experienced in some areas and the heavy rains and hailstorms, which affected both the quality and quantity of the harvest, delayed the harvesting of winter wheat. The Prime Minister said the preliminary indications from a nation-wide survey that was being conducted in Lesotho showed that there will be a very low harvest of cereals during the year 2002/2003 resulting in a cereal food deficit of about 220,000 metric tonnes. The deficit was made up as follows: one hundred thirty five thousand metric tonnes of maize, ninety two thousand metric tones of wheat and a sorghum surplus of eight thousand eight hundred and sixty metric tonnes. On the other hand, the total annual food grain requirements were 400 000 metric tonnes while the total domestic supply was only about 180 000 metric tones giving a grain deficit of two hundred thousand tonnes, he outlined. Mosisili said the high unemployment rate estimated at more than thirty percent and the high level of poverty estimated at over fifty percent of two million Basotho had aggravated the prevailing famine situation in the country. In some areas in the country the famine situation had already begun to claim lives and also worse malnutrition among children. The ever-rising incidence of HIV/AIDS was claiming more and more lives because some of the infected persons were unable to afford nutritious meals, which could prolong their lives. The Prime Minister said whilst awaiting the results of the survey being undertaken throughout the country, the government had allocated an amount of twenty three million Rand for immediate intervention through the provision of food assistance to vulnerable families, for a period of one year, with effect from the beginning of May. Mosisili called on the friends of Lesotho, including the member states of the Southern African Community (SADC) and the international donor community to assist Lesotho in its present state of famine.
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