Lesotho is among eight African countries to benefit from Australia's contribution of M54 million to the World Food Programme's efforts to help ease a severe food crisis in Africa.

According to a statement from the Australian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, about M27 million will be allocated to the Southern African region, experiencing the fourth consecutive year of drought. It will be used to provide food assistance to eight million people facing severe food shortages in Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Fifteen million Maloti of  the total Southern African contribution has been earmarked to feed Zimbabwe's most vulnerable people including those recently affected by the urban cleaning-up campaign, the statement said.

In other regions, funding will go to countries including Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea. This latest contribution brings Australia's total humanitarian assistance to Africa since 2004 to M222 million, according to the statement.

05 July 2005