KEY MESSAGES

• The season 'A' harvests (December to February) were below average due to an above-average prevalence of several plant diseases and poor rainfall performance. This, coupled with atypically high staple food prices, is limiting household food access. Poor households in most areas of Burundi will face Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity until the next harvests in June. Then between July and September, households will face Minimal (IPC Phase 1) food insecurity.

Le maïs blanc est la céréale de base principale consommées en Tanzanie, au Kenya et en Ethiopie. En Ouganda, le maïs blanc est cultivé principalement en tant que culture commerciale pour l'exportation dans la région. Le riz importé est un aliment de base majeur pour Djibouti et la Somalie, qui consomment principalement Belem‐le riz importé rouge. La Tanzanie est également un producteur majeur et source de riz dans la région tandis que le Kenya et l'Ouganda sont de petits producteurs. Les deux rouges et le sorgho blanc sont produits et consommés dans la région.

White maize is the main staple grain consumed in Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In Uganda, white maize is grown mainly as a commercial crop for export in the region. Imported rice is a major staple for Djibouti and Somalia, which mainly consume belem—the imported red rice. Tanzania is also a major producer and source of rice in the region while Kenya and Uganda are minor producers. Both red and white sorghum are produced and consumed in the region. This is an important staple in Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia as well as in other marginal agricultural areas of the region.

UNHCR operational highlights

• UNHCR opened two new transit centers (one in Cishemere in the province of Cibitoke, one in Kajaga in the Mairie of Bujumbura) and one new refugee camp (in Kavumu in the province of Cankuzo) to accommodate new arrivals from DRC. The new camp has a capacity of 13 000 persons and should accommodate 5 000 refugees by the end of 2013. It will be inaugurated on the 15th of May 2013.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Several weeks of heavy rainfall have displaced tens of thousands of people from their homes in Kenya

• Despite crop damage, regional food security continues to improve

• Refugees continue to cross borders, albeit in reduced numbers, due to protracted insecurity in Sudan, South Sudan, Eastern DRC and Somalia

Average to above-average agricultural production across many countries in the region saw the number of food-insecure people fall from 14.9 million in late 2012 to 12.9 million.

KEY MESSAGES

Heavy rains characterized the onset of March to May rains in Eastern Africa

KEY MESSAGES

• The onset of March to May rains have been timely across the cropping, agropastoral, and pastoral areas of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda,
Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania in the areas that receive these rains. The rains started between mid-March and the first week of April. They have been heavier-than-normal in most areas(Figure 1).

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Timely onset to the 2013 B season rainfall

• Food prices decline slightly, but remain near record levels

• Food security situation improves following the new harvest