Nearly half of Lesotho population faces food insecurity in coming months, Prime Minister warns

"Years of bad luck and record-breaking maize prices have led land-locked Lesotho into a crisis," the Devex "Development Newswire" reports. "Prime Minister Tom Thabane declared a food security emergency on August 10, and a national vulnerability assessment warns that nearly 45 percent of the nation's 2.2 million people will face moderate to severe food insecurity in the next few months," the news service writes, adding, "While the crisis can be mitigated in the short term, Lesotho will need ongoing food support: It's one of four countries in the world where nearly 100 percent of the population is projected to remain food insecure for the next ten years."

"A multisector emergency and recovery response plan is currently in the works to mitigate the impact of the food crisis, bringing together United Nations agencies, [non-governmental organizations (NGOs)], and the Disaster Management Authority of Lesotho," according to Devex. "In his emergency declaration, Thabane predicted that women, people living with HIV, orphans, and children under the age of five would suffer the most," the news service writes. "He urged development partners to provide humanitarian assistance and help break Lesotho's cycle of food insecurity," it adds (Brookland, 8/20).