Maseru — Food aid distributed in Lesotho this week would bring some relief to the worst-affected district of Qacha's Nek, but was not enough to avert hunger throughout the country, the World Food Programme (WFP) said.

According to the WFP's Lesotho country director, Techeste Zergaber, the 10000 tons of assistance received on August 5 only represents 28 per cent of Lesotho's requirements.

"I am very worried because we have only managed to secure 28 per cent of our food aid requirements, which will only cater for 97000 people out of a total of 444000 destitute people countrywide. Even the little what we have will only last for the next three months," Zargarber told Sapa on Saturday.

The worst-affected regions according to a recent study by the WFP, are the districts of Qacha's Nek, Thaba-Tseka, Mohale's Hoek and Quthing, which have recorded their lowest harvests in more than 30 years.

Thousands of households desperate for food assistance owing to unseasonable winter rain and hailstorms. The next harvest will only be gathered in March and April next year.

Meanwhile, the food distribution exercise has also been bogged down by logistical problems.

"In the remote parts of the country accessibility is a big problem because of a poor roads infrastructure and this is likely to delay food distribution," Zergarber said.

Lesotho's worsening food situation has somewhat been alleviated with the arrival of a 10,000 tones of food and on Monday this week, which the World Food Programme (WFP) began distributing this morning in the north-eastern district of Qacha's Nek, the worst affected region in Lesotho.