Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of thestatement released by South Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma's office on 11 May 2004; what his Department's assessment isof 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 andvulnerability in the Southern African region. At the 15 May Southern African Development Community Summit on Agriculture andFood Security in Dar es 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 inimproving 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 Nationsassessed that 15.2 million people (26 per cent. of the population) were in need of food aid. DFID spent over £88million 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 povertyappears to have increased and more communities are now likely to become destitute as a result of variable rainfall or other shockssuch 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 isnecessary 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 alsorequired.