support for recovery and developnent. 17. According to the recent dectaration on the economic sieuaLion in Africa adopted by African heads of State and @vernnent, I0/ the African countries thenselves eophasize that they bave primary responsibility for adopting appropriatepolicies. At the present ti|tle of economic difficulties, conpounded by debt probl-ems and weak commodity prices causiirg low export earnings, the importance of increased and contlnulng external assistance is being emphasized in alI relevanE forums of the United Nations system. In a number of cases, already strained resources have been rechannelled away from long-term development into emergencyoperations, making an appropriate increase in resources for longer-terrnrehabilitation and developnent all the more urgent. 18. In this context. the Executive Boaral of the International Fund forAgrlcultural Development (IFAD) agreed unanimously in May 1985 to authorize a special programme for the sub-Saharan African countries affected by drought anddesertification. (The continuinq dlfficulties in arranging the second replenishment of IFAD are discussed in section III below.) The special progranme lrou ld provide additional resources in particular to countries immediately affected by drought in the form of seeds, implements, fertilizers and other inputs to permit an early recovery of production capacityt concentrate on the production oftraditional crops rdhich Cend to be mos t. droughC-resislantt undertake schemes promoting small-scale water conservation and developmenlt strengthen agro-forestry,soil conservation and ecological. protection programmest and reinforce lhe policy and institutional slructures \rhich help to stimulate production by African smallholders. 19. The IFAD progranme \rould compLement the FAO programne for the Rehabilitationof Agriculture in Afri.ca. The FAO progranme, presented to meetings of special donors in January and l4arcb 1985, conslsted of 229 projects of which donors expressed interesE in 165 for an anount of $I35 mill.ion. Among the measuresidentified for priority action were manpower training, agricuLtural research. soil
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the economic situation of African countries, specifically the impact of drought and desertification on agriculture, and the need for external assistance to support recovery and development. It mentions the allocation of resources, policies, and programs aimed at rehabilitation and development, as well as the role of international organizations such as IFAD and FAO. Given the emphasis on agriculture, economic development, and humanitarian aid, it is likely that the text belongs to categories related to these topics.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief