Hundreds of hungry villagers in Zambia looted a warehouse storing genetically modified (gm) maize, whose distribution had been banned by the government. The desperate villagers assaulted the lone guard on duty and made away with more than 4000 bags of gm maize. They also took with them about 1000 sacks of non-gm maize as well as several hundred bags of beans.

Around 14 million people in Zambia and its neighbouring countries are facing starvation due to critical food shortage. But Zambia had clamped down on the transgenic variety of maize citing possible side-effects. Other countries in the region have, however, accepted the gm consignment.