ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Food aid in Ethiopia is in critically short supply with cereal stocks likely to run out next month, the UN World Food Program (WFP) said here Saturday.

    According to a press release from the WFP country office, only 11 percent of the requirements for 2.9 million people in March hadbeen covered.

    Unless more food could be found, WFP and other charities would have to target only the very worst areas, it said.

    Around 130,000 tons has been pledged for this year's emergency needs, but about 400,000 tons was needed, according to figures released by the UN and the Ethiopian government.

    The shortfall comes as the government launches a new strategy to try and end the on-going dependency of millions of people on food aid. The strategy, known as the safety net program, seeks to support 5.1 million people depending on food aid, regardless of annual harvests.

    Emergency food-aid needs had risen beyond the needs of 2.2 million people because 900,000 people in the Afar and Somali regions, who were to receive support under the safety nets scheme,had been included in the emergency program.

    In January, it added, only 26 percent of food-aid requirements were met, while for February 90 percent of requirements may be covered.

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