Food shortages in southern Africa are reaching alarming proportions. The World Food Program, or WFP, says tens of millions of people in six countries -- Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho and Swaziland -- face starvation as a result of disastrous crop failures. The U.N. agency is calling for $500 million in emergency food aid, but so far only a fourth of that amount is said to have been collected.
The famine has been caused by a combination of natural and human factors. The biggest reason is water shortages because of drought. Government corruption and policy errors have also played a part. What's more, the spread of AIDS has caused serious labor shortages and disrupted life in rural communities. About one out of three adults is said to be infected with HIV in southern African states.
In Malawi, government officials reportedly have lined their pockets by selling off about 167,000 tons of reserve food overseas. In Zimbabwe, the government of President Robert Mugabe has created chaos in agriculture by seizing highly productive white-owned farms while keeping food prices unreasonably low. Moreover, his authoritarian regime has obstructed international food aid to residents supporting opposition parties.