approach to development. A period of purposeful development-oriented austerity was inevitable. Africa might not have another chance to save its economies from total collapse. 175, The Secretary-General ;d interim of the Organization of African Unity explained that the eleventh EGA Conference of Ministers was expected to contribute to the preparation for the twenty-first summit of the Assembly of Heads of State of the Organization of African Unity; in that context he lauded the excellent co-operation between the OAU and ECA secretariats. 176, Reviewing the acute food situation in Africa, he described the suffering in the drought-affected countries and reported on desertification and the poor economic performance of the African countries with their increasing populations. He welcomed the establishment of an Intergovern­ mental Authority on Drought and Desertification (IGADD) in Eastern Africa in addition to the existing permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahelian countries, and hoped that efforts would be inten­ sified at the national level by instituting co-ordination units and measures aimed at the protection of the common eco-system. 177, Further, the mounting external debt and the increasing debt servicing burden on African countries were issues of serious concern; he called for a dialogue between the rich and the poor countries and hoped that the Conference would endorse the proposal of the forty-first OAU Council of Ministers for a united African position. 178, There were over 5 million refugees and 10 million displaced persons in Africa. While apartheid in South Africa had resulted in large refugee flows across the continent, the acts of some independent African countries had also led to an increase in their numbers. Solutions had to be found to these problems; the principle of burden-sharing had to be reconsidered; but above all the root causes of the refugee problem had to be tackled. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses various challenges facing Africa, including economic development, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises. It highlights the need for sustainable development, burden-sharing, and addressing root causes of problems. Given the emphasis on economic development, humanitarian aid, and environmental issues, it is likely that the text belongs to multiple categories.

**Category**
Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief, Natural resources and environment