The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Tom Mosoba
11 April 2008
Dar es Salaam — High food prices in East Africa have had a negative impact on the region's poverty alleviation efforts, a World Bank official said yesterday.
Citing Tanzania, Mr Hans Hoogeveen, a senior economist at the World Bank Tanzania country office said last year's drought, which was followed by rapid increases in food prices had hampered the country's development targets, especially reduction of child mortality and malnutrition.
"Tanzania's positive gains in reducing child mortality rates, and its fight against extreme poverty and hunger is being negated by the spiraling cost of living, fuelled by high food prices, especially among poor households. Fifty percent of children's diseases and deaths are caused by malnutrition.
The reduction in malnutrition cases among children aged below five years recorded between 1999 and 2004 has also been compromised by lack of enough food resources," he said. Mr Hans was speaking in Dar es Salaam at the official launch of the joint World Bank and International Monetary Fund global monitoring report on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The report, which was released internationally yesterday from the Bank's headquarters in Washington, US, showed that most sub-Saharan Africa countries would fall behind in attaining targets of halving poverty, cutting child and maternal mortality and raising school enrollment.
According to the report, high commodity prices, rising food and fuel costs lowered incomes among the poorest households exposed to malnutrition that contributed to high mortality rates among children.
World Bank president Mr Robert Zoellick expressed worries at the risk in most countries of falling behind the goals of reducing hunger and malnutrition, which he termed "the forgotten MDGs".
"Reducing malnutrition has a multiplier effect contributing to success in other MDGs including maternal health, infant mortality and education," he said.
The report called on African governments to adopt sustainable development, noting that most MDGs were linked to growth and environment. Climate change, the report said, would worsen food insecurity in Africa.
The EAC had not been spared by rising food prices, which experts say are being fuelled by high world fuel prices. And the warnings on soaring oil and food prices come at a time the region is also projecting serious food shortages in the near future.
Tanzania has already put some regions on food shortage alert. Authorities say up to 300,000 tonnes of maize imports would be required to meet the national food requirements over the next six months.
Already, the country has started relief food programmes in areas experiencing critical food deficits. Overall inflation also jumped to 8.9 percent in February this year, up from 6.8 last December.
Currently the food basket in Tanzania accounts for 55 percent of the consumer price index, meaning most of the inflation burden results from high food and commodity prices. In neighbouring Kenya, economist Robert Shaw this week warned of a spiraling cost of living contributed to by a projected food shortage and declining purchase power of most households.
Political trouble following disputed elections last December has also been blamed for a wide drop in food supply.
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