Millions Facing Starvation in 6 African Nations, U.S. Officials Say

WASHINGTON â€”  Millions of people in six African nations--Sudan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Liberia, Angola and Somalia--face death from starvation because of drought and conflict, and available relief supplies are strained to the limit, U.S. officials said Friday.

The most critical situation is in Sudan, where an estimated 9 million are at risk and the government initially delayed the start of a new relief program, said Michael Harvey of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.

A distribution system eventually was established, “but it’s too late, and a lot of children are going to die,� Harvey said at a news briefing sponsored by U.S. government agencies involved in African relief work.

Sudan alone needs emergency supplies of 1 million tons of food to avert a catastrophe--far more than currently is available for distribution, said Scott Spangler, chief of the Africa Bureau of the Agency for International Development.

The Bush Administration has allocated 965,350 tons of food for the six countries during the current fiscal year, Spangler said. The Administration hopes that other donor nations will contribute the rest, he said.

The U.S. relief, valued at $394 million, will come largely from surplus stocks, with additional supplies to be purchased for special needs.

While persistent droughts have contributed to famine in Sudan, Ethiopia and Angola, internal conflicts are a much greater obstacle to relief operations, the U.S. officials said.

“The current problem is less a result of natural disaster than internal strife, and a lot of it is happening at the same time, putting a real strain on our resources,� Harvey said.

In addition to the 9 million Sudanese facing starvation, an estimated 4.6 million people are at risk in Ethiopia, 4.5 million in Mozambique, 2 million in Liberia and 1.9 million in Angola.

The officials said they are unable to estimate the number of people at risk in Somalia.

The potential starvation in Mozambique is attributed largely to the civil war that has long plagued the former Portuguese colony, while in Liberia, it is caused by conflict following the ouster of President Samuel K. Doe.

“There are some bright spots in this grim picture,� Spangler said, citing the recent return of the U.S. ambassador and AID mission director to Sudan after they were forced out by Gulf-related anti-American terrorism.

He also cited as positive developments a new Angolan accord permitting relief distribution in rebel areas, the reopening of the northern Ethiopian port of Massawa for food shipments, and recent progress toward peace in Liberia.