By Matṧeliso Phulane
Acute food insecurity continues to haunt Lesotho as it gears up to commemorate World Food Day on October 16, 2023.
This year’s commemoration will be held under the theme, ‘Water is life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind.’
The day was set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness on poverty and hunger, and to seek ways of addressing these challenges.
The UN says World Food Day is a chance to show commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 as well as to celebrate progress made so far.
For Lesotho, the results are a mixed bag.
According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) about 245,000 people in Lesotho (16 percent) faced high levels of food insecurity between July and last month.
This number is expected to rise to about 325,000 (about 22 percent of the population) between this month and March 2024.
The same research revealed that five of Lesotho’s 10 district are in IPC Phase 2 (stressed) and the other five districts are in IPC Phase 3 (crisis).
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) also warned that food security situation in Lesotho is likely to worsen later this year when the expected El Nino conditions peak.
The adverse conditions are projected to affect the upcoming 2023/24 summer cropping season and lead to a decline in household food access early next year, FEWS NET further cautions.
It also noted that based on current forecast probabilities and models, there will likely be a rise in food prices during the post-harvest period.
By late 2023, poor households are expected to be in crisis (IPC Phase 3) due to increased market reliance on food purchases and reduced purchasing power as a result of above average food prices.
Poor households in deficit production areas are set to transition to Stressed (IPC Phase 2) from September to November, it adds.
According to the United Nations, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has worsened food insecurity in poorer nations such as Lesotho due to rising prices.
The global organisation cautioned that some countries could face long-term famines if Ukraine’s exports are not restored to pre-war levels.
As a result, urgent action is needed to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods, as well as prevent acute malnutrition, experts have warned.
Vulnerable groups including children are the most affected in Lesotho.
The Mountain Kingdom is among the seven countries in the world that have shown progress in improving child nutrition outcomes, as evidenced by the six percent reduction in stunting in the past decade.
However, the stunting rates still remain unacceptably high at 33.2 percent among children under five years, which is an indication that chronic food and nutrition insecurity are still prevalent. The high prevalence of malnutrition has impacted greatly on education and health outcomes.
The Cost of Hunger in Africa study, which was commissioned by the African Union, and in which Lesotho participated has confirmed the magnitude of the consequences that child malnutrition has on health, education and the national economy.
The study highlighted that the country has incurred huge economic losses associated with undernutrition, the highest being the cost in loss of potential productivity.
Its findings have clearly shown that adequate nutrition is critical for one’s physical and intellectual development and work productivity, and hence an integral element for socio-economic development.
It is in this context that the government has committed to channel more resources towards nutrition interventions.
It has also pledged to strengthen institutional and human capacities for effective delivery of nutrition services, as well as support sustainable social-protection programmes that promote resilience-building for communitie
Given the predictions of increased food insecurity in the country, non-governmental organisations such as the Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have come on board to offer aid.
LRCS has set aside M8 million to help vulnerable households cope with the drought expected to hit the country this summer.
In an interview with theReporter this week, the chief agricultural information officer in the ministry of agriculture, food security and nutrition, Lereko Masopha, said Lesotho will celebrate World Food Day at Sekameng in Mafeteng district today.
Different departments under the ministry will be showcasing their different works aimed at fostering food security.
The ministry will also equip the community with skills on animals rearing, water conservation, and to how grow vegetables during drought weather conditions.
“This year, we have invited King Letsie III as the African Union Nutrition Champion,” Masopha said.
He noted that the ministry had scored some significant milestones through their SADP II project, which is aimed at promoting better nutritional outcomes and human capital development.
The project also supports adoption of climate smart agricultural technologies, enhanced commercialisation and improved dietary diversity among targeted beneficiaries.
Research shows that food insecurity can cause serious health issues when people have to choose between spending money on food and medicine or healthcare.
The government says it has made significant investments in developing social protection programmes (child protection, community development, disability services, elderly services and social assistance) over the past 20 years.
Through these programmes, it envisions a decent and dignified quality of life for all, free from poverty and hunger.
The World Food Programme (WFP) provides technical assistance to the government in the planning and implementation of gender-responsive social protection programmes (school feeding programme and public works) that contribute to hunger eradication and long-term food security and nutrition results.
In contribution towards Sustainable Development Goal 2, strategic outcome 1 focuses on meeting the basic food requirements of those affected by shocks through unconditional cash and food transfers.
Strategic outcome 2 aims to strengthen social protection systems that ensure access to adequate, safe and nutritious food all year round, while strategic outcome 3 addresses the nutritional status of vulnerable populations in line with national protocols.
Through strategic outcome 4, WFP builds a resilient, efficient, and inclusive food system for communities, especially women and youth, through implementing integrated interventions for climate change.
Working towards Sustainable Development Goal 17, strategic outcome 5 focuses on providing expertise on procurement services and supply chain activities on behalf of government and partners and ensuring that vulnerable communities benefit from WFP’s supply chain and other services, improving the efficiency of development and humanitarian programmes.
