Food Supply in Africa Threatened - Somalia, Sudan , Ethiopia at Risk

Food Supply in Africa Threatened – Somalia, Sudan , Ethiopia at Risk

Reuters

January 19, 2011

LONDON – Growing signs 0f drought in the Horn 0f Africa could lead to food shortages in Somalia, Sudan , Ethiopia, while rising food prices may put its budget under pressure, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Wednesday.

“Certain regions that are prone to drought , weather variation are showing signs 0f cyclical food shortages,” Sheila Sisulu, deputy executive direct0rwith the U.N. agency, told Reuters. “The Horn 0f Africa immediately comes to mind.

“Much as they (Ethiopia) have some areas where they have enough grain, the Somali area is also being affected not only by the fighting but also what seems like a drought developing,” she said on a visit to London.

Sisulu said the WFP sourced most 0f its food from local countries it operated in , was “cautiously optimistic” about volatile prices in global markets.

“The analysis out there is saying that the impact on wheat is not as bad as it was in 2008,” she said.

“But given the floods in Pakistan in particular , 0f course in Australia, now Brazil, all the maj0rgrain producing countries that also produce wheat we might see a problem as the year goes on.”

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