AFRICA/BURUNDI - “The present food shortage in Burundi is due to climatic conditions but it is also a quesion of structures and market ” local source told Fides

Thursday, 20 January 2005

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Bujumbura (Fides Service)- United Nations World Food Programme WFP has issued a hunger warning for Burundi, following a local alarm last week (see Fides 12 January 2005). According to the UN organisation, more than half a million people in north east Burundi face a serious food shortage. “The situation is critical and calls for national and international solidarity” local Church sources told Fides.
WFP says the main cause for the food shortage affecting mainly the north eastern provinces of Kirundo and Muyinga is severe drought which has devastated the region since 1998. In addition this year a virus is drastically reducing harvests of manioc Africans’ main food. “The area has suffered from drought for years but this year the situation is much worse” said Fides sources. “The problem was known to all but nothing was done. Unfortunately fatalism tends to make people ignore problems which in the end explode ”.
“Besides climatic conditions, the present food shortage is also due to lack of water works and quality seed. Burundi on the whole is a fertile land and has plenty of water, it is only a question of better distribution of resources” said Fides sources. “Another cause may be the political situation of a country trying to find a way out of civil war. Guerrilla warfare hampers communications and food provisions. Moreover food prices in neighbouring Rwanda have rocketed and so Burundian farmers prefer to sell their produce across the border which means that people here have trouble in finding certain articles of wide” the source concluded.
WFP says it has started a large scale operation to provide food for 520,000 people with food from its supplies. However since its present supplies will last only until June WFP has launched an appeal for 25 million dollars to guarantee survival for these people until the end of this year.
Catholic organisations such as Caritas and Catholic Relief Service are providing assistance in Burundi. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/1/2004 righe 35 parole 445)