and flexible forms of official assistance constitute the essential external requirements. Domestic or external policies also are each unlikely to avert the recurrence of future disasters. There is, therefore, a joint responsibility for securing a better future in Africa. Urgent requirements 5. To invest in necessary restructuring while preserving even reduced current levels of living requires considerable time and foreign exchange. Insufficient foreign exchange is being made available and the prospect is for even lower levels in the future. African economies have been badly debilitated by the deferral of necessary maintenance activities. Their productive units are working far below capacity for lack of imported inputs for farms, factories and transport. -29- Assistance for those rehabilitative and operational purposes, rather than for large new projects is, after food, Africa's most urgent current requirement. Without it, African productive potential will further deteriorate and its downward spiral will continue. In present African circumstances, the returns from the provision of even modestly increased amounts of foreign exchange for rehabilitative and operational use will be extraordinarily high. 6. Many African Governments have begun to implement major structural reforms. Others would be ready to begin if they were assured the necessary extra resources and technical support. The Committee urges the Governments of the industrialized countries to commit themselves now to their share of the responsibility for assuring at least a minimally tolerable future for Africa over the next decade. The failure of external support to materialize will seriously prejudice the prospects of success for existing efforts at domestic policy reform and discourage others. It also risks long-term erosion of the credibility of multilateral institutions' advice within Africa. 7. Assistance for Africa and formulation of its economic policies must take a longer view than that which typically characterizes discussion of its current drought and famine. Public support for African emergency relief can and must be 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic situation in Africa, highlighting the need for external support and structural reforms to ensure a better future. It emphasizes the importance of providing foreign exchange and technical assistance to African governments to enable them to implement reforms and recover from the current crisis. The text also mentions the impact of external support on the credibility of multilateral institutions. This suggests that the category should be related to economic development, humanitarian aid and relief, and international cooperation.

**Category**
Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief