Department statements on Africa. (US State Department)

Southern Africa: Drought and Food Crisis

Statement by Department Spokesman Margaret Tutwiler, Washington, DC, March 2, 1992.

A severe drought with resultant food shortage is developing in Southern Africa. Affected areas include all or parts of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In some areas, the drought is the worst seen this century. It comes at a time when food reserves are already low, due to poor harvests last year.

In response to the impending crisis, the US Agency for International Development is sending teams to the region to assess; the magnitude of the drought, the extent …