July 27, 2002 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- The reluctance of southern African nations to accept genetically modified grain could hurt efforts to avoid famine in the region, an American relief expert warned Friday.
Roger Winter, a senior USAID official, said American aid deliveries could be delayed up to six weeks while African countries check the safety of the modified grain, and millions of people could starve in the interim.
The United States has shipped more than 95,000 tons of food aid to southern African, where drought and misdirected government polices have been blamed for widespread food shortages. Another 205,000 tons is to be sent to the region by the end of the year.
"We believe what's unfolding here is huge," Winter said.
Aid agencies estimate almost 13 million people are going hungry in southern Africa and more than 1.2 millions tons of grain is needed to feed them.
Yet several governments have expressed concern that American corn is unsafe. Zambia warned Friday it may refuse a $50 million loan to purchase U.S. corn, while in May Zimbabwe rejected a 10,000 ton corn donation.
Winter, who has spent several days touring the region, told reporters in Johannesburg that Zimbabwe had subsequently agreed to accept about 18,000 tons of American corn, which was almost certainly genetically modified.
Washington has been highly critical of a program by the increasingly unpopular Zimbabwean government to seize more than 5,000 white-owned farms and redistribute them to landless blacks. The program has brought commercial agriculture to a standstill.
However Winter there was no firm evidence to support allegations that Zimbabwe's government was denying international aid to opposition supporters.
Earlier Friday, Winter announced in the Malawian capital Lilongwe that a shipment of over 8,000 tons of food aid from America was due to arrive in the southern African nation next week, and another 22,000 tons would land in September.
Malawi's Agriculture Minister Aleke Banda said while donors, including the United States, Britain and the World Food Program had responded generously, more aid was still required.
He estimated that 3 million of the country's 11 million people had run out of food, and 700,000 tons of grain was needed this year to prevent them from starving.
Last year, Malawi's food relief agency sold 60,000 tons of grain to pay off its debts, leaving the country with no food reserves.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
