¡¡¡¡KAMPALA, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) James Morris while in Kampala recently appealed for peace and stability in the East and Central Africa to prevent the terrible loss of life and human suffering in the region.

¡¡¡¡"Food production has been slashed, as displaced population are prevented from tending their fields. Their main chance for survival is help from international community," he said.

¡¡¡¡This region has been characterized by violent civil conflicts that have left thousands and millions of people displaced. Many of these displaced people are now facing a food crisis. Across east and central Africa, some 20 million people need food aid, representing more than half of the 40 million people in Africa facing large scale hunger. This year alone, the region requires 2.8 million metric tons of food aid.

¡¡¡¡Morris' appeal comes in the wake of increased civil conflicts in the region.

¡¡¡¡The civil war in Burundi has caused massive population displacement and deterioration of survival strategies of the majority of the population. There are about 282,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in displacement camps and up to 100,000 dispersed IDPs.

¡¡¡¡There are also over 800,000 Burundian refugees in neighboring countries. According to the WFP, in the month of September alone, some 55,000 people were displaced by the conflicts.

¡¡¡¡The agency says for several weeks, it was unable to provide assistance to scores of people as well as many other victims of the conflict in the country. The planting season is on but continued fighting may compromise food production.

¡¡¡¡This year, the country requires 91,953 metric tons of food. The current peace negotiations between the government and the rebels are expected to end human suffering in the country.

¡¡¡¡In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), almost 2 million people have been affected by the prolonged conflict in the country. These people entirely depend on food aid. The recent political developments to establish a government of national reconciliation are yet to yield results as attacks continue to displace, injure and kill populations.

¡¡¡¡The WFP said that there is an existing emergency operation worth 156 million US dollars to assist 1.4 million people in the eastern part of the country. There is already an emergency operation worth 38 million dollars that was launched in June to respond to the emerging needs of 500,000 newly displaced civilians in eastern DRC.

¡¡¡¡According to the WFP, the country needs 44,229 metric tons of food on top of the already existing 86,117 metric tons.

¡¡¡¡In Uganda, brutal attacks by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in the north and east have resulted in the displacement of 1.2 million people. People have abandoned their fields because of fear of being abducted by the rebels.

¡¡¡¡The east is currently in the harvesting season but the people cannot go to the fields because of fear of being abducted by the rebels. When Xinhua reporter recently visited eastern Uganda, it was found out that a family of seven people shared 2 mugs of posho and a mug of beans a day. The children in the displaced peoples camps were malnourished and the adults themselves did not look healthy.

¡¡¡¡Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Settlement, Amongin Aporu appealed to humanitarian agencies to assist the people in the IDPs. According to the WFP, the IDPS in Uganda require 106,699 metric tons of food.

¡¡¡¡In the Sudan, over 3.25 million people have been affected by war and drought. War has been going in the southern part of the country between the government forces and the different rebel groups leaving many people dead. The recent peace talks between the government and the main rebel group the Sudan People's Liberation Army bare a ray of hope for the affected people.

¡¡¡¡The talks are expected to yield good results that will end the suffering of the people. The WFP says that the Sudan needs 208,157metric tons of food to cater for the war affected people.

¡¡¡¡Other factors have also devastated the effect on food availability in the region for example climate, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and natural disasters.

¡¡¡¡However, the depressing issue now is that the WFP, has been hit by a financial shortage therefore changing its mode of operation.

¡¡¡¡"A lack of funds has forced us to reduce food rations in some areas-precisely when the levels of malnutrition are dramatically high. I'm urging donors to continue their support to the victims of such tragedies," said Morris.

¡¡¡¡This means that the suffering of the displaced people who go hungry is still continuing.

¡¡¡¡Leaders in this east and central Africa should devise means of resolving conflicts peacefully so that the suffering of people can come to an end. They should discourage people who take up arms to fight governments.

¡¡¡¡Governments should also design away of redistributing food within their respective countries. In some countries some parts have surplus food while in other parts people are facing hunger.

¡¡¡¡With these measures, food shortages caused by civil conflicts will be reduced. Enditem