The government's emergency food security programme, which seeks to alleviate poverty in rural areas, has been overwhelmed by a huge demand from poor people who desperately need food. The programme, which is overseen by the Social Development Department, got underway in the Lady Frere area, where 5 340 families received basic food parcels. Department district manager, Tizana Mpondwana, said that since the beginning of April 2003, the government in conjunction with the Independent Development Agency had distributed food in five areas around Lady Frere, writes Sipho Sikilishe.