The time is short: WFP warns of food supply line break to Somalia as needs grow

WFP appealed today for urgent contributions to avoid breaks in its supply line of food assistance to Somalia because of forecasts of crop failure.

The growing need for food assistance follows a warning in June by the FAO "UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s" Food Security Analysis Unit Somalia of a crop failure or below average production in July to August in much of southern and central Somalia because of poor rainfall.

WFP Country Director for Somalia Peter Goossens said WFP requires now US$19.5 million or 26,500 metric tons of food by the end of 2007 to feed one million people in Somalia.

Without new contributions, WFP will be short of 8,500 tons by October and the accumulated deficit will grow to 70,000 tons worth US$53 million by May 2008.

“We are calling for immediate contributions because the needs of the weakest Somalis – mainly women and children – are growing for reasons entirely beyond their control and it can take up to three or four months to get food assistance into Somalia,” Goossens said.

“The people of Somalia have been hit by drought and floods last year and now insecurity and new displacements. They need humanitarian assistance to survive.”

The first impact of the forecast crop failure or poor harvest should become evident by October. WFP therefore revised its projections and estimates that it may need 50 percent more food assistance from October until May 2008 than what was planned for all of 2007. Read Full Article...