Food aid to be slashed in Zambia

Maize stocks are low across southern Africa

Food handouts to more than 80,000 refugees in Zambia will be halved next month because of a shortfall in aid, the United Nations has said.

The UN and the Zambian government have launched an urgent appeal for $8.5m for the Angolan and Congolese refugees.

The UN says it may already be too late to avoid the cuts as no contributions have been received for 2006.

Last month, Zambia's president declared a national disaster as over a million Zambians face severe food shortages.

"This is an extremely serious situation as these refugees live in camps and settlements in remote areas of Zambia, and rely entirely on the UN World Food Programme for their food supplies," said David Stevenson, WFP's Zambia country director.

Last year, the WFP was forced to cut food aid for three months, which it says led to increased malnutrition, higher death rates and more sexually transmitted infections as refugees turned to prostitution to gain food.

Zambia is one of six countries across southern Africa facing a food crisis.

The UN says some 12m people in the region need food aid.