South Africa (Hansard, 24 May 2004)

§ Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the statement released by South Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma's office on 11 May 2004; what his Department's assessment is of the scale of the problem highlighted by Mr. Zuma; and if he will make a statement. [174640]

§ Hilary Benn
The statement by South Africa's Deputy President Zuma's office, highlighted the extent of food insecurity and vulnerability in the Southern African region. At the 15 May Southern African Development Community Summit on Agriculture and Food Security in Dares Salaam the South African government announced a contribution of R 100 million (approximately £8 million) to help meet these needs. DFID welcomes this and believe that South Africa has an important role to play in improving food security in the region, including as a major food producer and grain market.
Food security is a continuing challenge in Southern Africa. At the peak of the recent humanitarian crisis, the United Nations assessed that 15.2 million people (26 per cent. of the population) were in need of food aid. DFID spent over £88 million in 2002–03 in response to the Southern African food crisis (in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho). Acute needs appear to be lessening now as a result of improved harvests in many but not all countries, However, chronic poverty appears to have increased and more communities are now likely to become destitute as a result of variable rainfall or other shocks such as illness or loss of work.
The impact of HIV/AIDS has placed a major burden on households and increased their vulnerability. Increasing food production is necessary but not sufficient, since many people do not grow their own food, and lack resources to buy food even if it is available. Increasing employment, land reform, better infrastructure and access to markets, and more private sector investment are also required.

§ Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Department had observers at the 2004 Southern African Development Community Heads of State and Government Summit on Agriculture and Food Security held on 15 May 2004 in Dar es Salaam; what reports of the(a) proceedings and (b) conditions of this summit he has received; and if he will make a statement. [174639]

§ Hilary Benn
The British High Commissioner in Tanzania attended the opening ceremony of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)1310W Summit on 15 May. The Summit launched an action plan to address the food security problems in the region. It emphasised the extent and depth of vulnerability in the region and the need for concerted international action on a wide range of issues. Member states re-endorsed their commitment to increase their financing to agriculture to 10 per cent. of national budgets within five years.
The official communiqué sets out the agreed action and priority areas for short and longer-term support. DFID, in collaboration with partners, is supporting a number of programmes to address the issues discussed at the Summit. DFID's collaboration emphasises access to food, as well as increasing production; monitoring vulnerability and targeting vulnerable groups; and the important role of the private sector and regional trade. DFID welcomes SADC's renewed commitment to food security as a development priority.