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Non-GM food donated to Zambia (Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 -- CropChoice news) -- Lusaka - The World Food Programme
(WFP) has donated 80 000 tons of
non-genetically modified food aid to
Zambia, a spokesperson for the agency
said Wednesday.
Meeting top government ministers, WFP
special envoy for humanitarian needs in
southern Africa, James Morris said 85
per cent of the UN's appeal to donors for
611 million dollars to feed starving
people in southern Africa had been met.
Morris added that negotiations would
soon be concluded for the remaining
amount.
This was the WFP's biggest consignment of
non-GM relief food to Zambia since
the government rejected 50 000 tons of
genetically modified food aid from the
US government and ordered it removed from the
country last August.
Relations between the Zambian government and
the WFP were strained following
the rejection of the controversial grain,
worsening the food crisis in the country.
President Levy Mwanawasa's government cited
health and environmental risks
for its refusal of the grain and said it would
not allow Zambians to be used as
guinea pigs just because of the hunger crisis.
Three million Zambians are faced with severe
hunger and aid agencies have
warned the situation could get worse with poor
rainfall experienced this farming
season.
WFP was put in the hot seat over its
distribution of GM food aid to drought
stricken southern African countries without
informing recipient governments.
Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
and Mozambique are
experiencing critical food shortages as a
result of severe drought that swept
across the region for two farming seasons.
Source: Sapa-DPA
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