World Food Programme Needs $1.8 Billion to Address African Food Emergency, Security Council Is Told

James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), informed the Council that Africa's food crisis is a threat to peace and security. Mr. Morris, indicated that the WFP needs to find $1.8 billion this year to meet the emergency food needs in Africa. This figure was more than the biennial budget of the United Nations Secretariat in New York. The causes of Africa's food crises included ""a lethal combination"" of recurring droughts, failed economic policies, conflict and the widening impact of HIV/AIDS, which had damaged the food sector and the capacity of governments to respond to need.