Millions of people across southern Africa, including Mozambique, are facing the worst food crisis in decades, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Tuesday (15), warning that its ability to deliver aid risks being undermined by funding shortfalls.

Amid unprecedented drought conditions, a record number of five countries - Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - have declared a state of disaster and appealed for international humanitarian support, the UN agency was quoted as saying by the Voice of America (VOA).

Mozambique and Angola are also seriously affected and around 21 million children are undernourished.

"Unless we receive additional resources, millions of people risk going through the worst lean season in decades without assistance," said WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri at a press conference in Geneva.

The agency plans to provide food and, in some cases, cash assistance to more than 6.5 million people in the seven worst-hit countries, to cover the period until the next harvest in March.

The WFP said, however, that it only received about a fifth of the 369 million dollars it needed.

"The crops have failed, the cattle have died and the children are lucky to receive at least one meal a day. The situation is dire and the need for action has never been clearer," said Phiri.

(Photo DR)