Food shortages in Burundi Deepen
A joint FAO/WFP/UNICEF and Burundi government crop and food supply assessment report concluded that the country would face a total food deficit in 2005 of 310,000 metric tons of food (in cereal equivalent) compared to 259,000 tons last year, primarily because of unfavourable weather conditions since 2003, affecting maize and bean yields.
The food shortage was aggravated by the low production of traditional roots and tuberous crops such as yam, manioc (due to disease) and, to some extent, sweet potatoes.
Food situation impacts on nutrition
With the 100 percent increase in prices of staple foods from last August, poor and vulnerable families have been completely unable to buy them. The food crisis is having a major impact on the nutritional situation. In January, supplementary feeding centres registered the highest number of admissions in three years.
Food shortages are particularly acute in the north, northeast and central provinces - areas traditionally regarded as Burundi's food basket. In these provinces, families have already resorted to selling their livestock and other assets, including the roofs of their houses, as well as migrating in search of casual labour or seeking alternative sources of food.
"This crisis comes just when Burundi is making some clear progress towards peace and stability," said Zlatan Milisic, WFP Country Director for Burundi. "After so many years of war, living conditions for most Burundians are very harsh and this drought is creating additional pressure on an already deeply
impoverished people."
Burundi economy is seriously debilitated
The food emergency has been worsening ever since the war broke out in 1993. The economy has been seriously debilitated, with high inflation and devaluation of the national currency. Roads and other key infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed, insecurity prevents the movement of people and farming has also been limited by insecurity. According to WFP's food security
survey in September 2004, 16 percent of Burundi's total population of 7.6 million people are chronically short of food, while 68 percent live on the brink of chronic food shortages.
To address the food crisis and tackle the specific needs of the most affected people, WFP, FAO and other agencies plan to distribute 140,000 tons of food, 150,000 hoes as well as seeds to 369,000 families - the equivalent of 2 million people.
FAO begins nutrient-rich cropping programme
"To mitigate the impact of the gradual disappearance of cassava, the main inter-season crop, in certain provinces, FAO has embarked on a B-carotene-rich sweet potato cutting and healthy cassava material rapid propagation programme for 120,000 households", said Mustafa S. Cassama, FAO
Representative in Burundi. FAO is also planning to run a taro propagation programme using indexed in vitro plant materials.
In 2004, WFP provided 73,000 metric tons of food assistance to over 1.8 million people, while FAO provided seeds and tools to 220,000 households (equivalent to 1,100,000 vulnerable people.