LILONGWE, May 20 2013 (IPS) - Lloyd Phiri, a fisherman from Senga Bay on Lake Malawi’s shores in Malawi’s central region, knows that the lake’s water levels are dropping. He can see it in his catch, which has shrunk by more than 80 percent in recent years.

Years ago, it was the norm to catch about 5,000 fish a day, Phiri says. But now, if he is lucky, he brings in one-fifth of that. And if he is not, he catches a mere 300 fish a day.

The Global Overview collates information from a range of sources and displays it in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises.

Introduction

This review is concerned with the financing arrangements for programmes that address acute malnutrition at scale through the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM). The CMAM approach is geared towards the early detection, treatment and counselling of moderately and severely acutely malnourished children, in the community, by community agents.

Food security levels are generally better than a year earlier in East Africa and the Sahel, with most areas facing either IPC phase 1 ‘minimal’ or phase 2 ‘stressed’ conditions, thanks to favorable agro-climatic conditions in 2012.

Period covered by this update: 7 February to 3 May 2013.

Summary: CHF 326,090 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 7 February 2013 to support the National Society in delivering assistance to some 16,370 beneficiaries (3,274 households) affected by floods.

With this operations update, a second allocation of CHF 4,603 from the DREF will be made to support a review of the intervention, making the total allocation from the DREF to the operation CHF 330,694.

13/5/2013 - SOS Children’s Villages and BT are “Connecting Africa”. The project – launched at the recent World Economic Forum on Africa – will bring internet access to families in 20 SOS Children’s Villages across 12 African countries.

By utilising BT’s global satellite network in conjunction with underused and decommissioned BT equipment across Africa, Connecting Africa will directly benefit 5,000 people in countries such as Kenya and Mali, DR Congo and Malawi. Together, BT and SOS Children's Villages estimate that the project could reach as many as 700,000 people.

Access to high-quality ear medical services

The specific project objective is the prevention of deafness in the south of Malawi by creating adequate access to high-quality ear medical services, which are also affordable. It is envisaged that the project will improve the quality of life of affected persons and their families by combating deafness and avoidable hearing impairment, thus making a contribution to the reduction of poverty.

This report covers the period 01/01/12 to 31/12/12

Overview

By Patty Mechael, Executive Director, mHealth Alliance on Thursday, May 9th 2013