FOOD SHORTAGES THREATEN 24 AFRICAN COUNTRIES. Senegal, January 1984 - Government operated well in central Senegal. Villagers travel long distances from their homes where local water supplies have dried up. The food supply outlook for Africa in 1984 remains serious with 24 countries facing emergency situations, according to the third situation report of the FAO/WFP Task Force on Africa. The roport confirmed the Task Force's warning last October of a sharp drop in cereal production in the 24 countries last year. It called for the delivery of 1.6 million tons in food aid and for almost $100 million for agricultural rehabilitation in the affected countries, which have a combined population of over 150 million people. The Task Force estimated the total cereal requirement of the 24 countries for 1983/84 at 5.3 million tons of which 3.4 million tons are estimated to be food aid requirements. Since known food aid pledges totalled 1.75 million tons, there remains a food aid gap of 1.6 million tons of cereals, 700,000 tons of which must be delivered by March. Among the 24 countries are The Gambia, Mali and Senegal.