HIGHLIGHTS

Namibia:

On 17 May 2013 the President on Namibia declared a national drought emergency and called for assistance from the international community. An estimated 330,925 people have now been classified as food insecure (14 % of Namibia’s total population of 2.324 million).

Madagascar:

1) Moisture deficits remain following a mid-season dry spell that occurred in early November and recent drier than average conditions. With a shortened recovery period in the next several weeks, this could result in a deterioration of pastoral and agro-pastoral conditions, and possible crop yield reductions by the end of season throughout parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and eastern Tanzania.

1) The return of below-average rainfall during the last week has re-strengthened moisture deficits following a mid-season dry spell that occurred in early November. With a shortened recovery period in the next several weeks, this could result in a deterioration of pastoral and agro-pastoral conditions, and possible crop yield reductions by the end of season throughout parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and eastern Tanzania.

Link: Global Food Security Update - Issue 8, October 2012

1) Both anomalous seasonal rainfall and northward position of the Inter-Tropical front has favored breeding conditions for desert locusts over the southern Mauritania-western Mali border, central Niger-eastern Mali, Chad, and east-central Sudan. The continuation of above-average rainfall during September could lead to locust outbreak across many regions.

MADAGASCAR Attacks by Dahalos again flared up over the past two weeks in various southern districts.

LESOTHO The Government of Lesotho is still to release their Response Plan to the food security crisis. The Humanitarian Country Team's draft response plan to the food security details over $40 million in projects.

SWAZILAND OCHA has been contacted by UNICEF regarding recent survey results which indicate a decline in micronutrient levels, particularly iodine.

COMOROS: A donor round table meeting to launch the Comoros Early Recovery Plan will be held on 5 September 2012, in Pretoria, South Africa.

LESOTHO:
A CERF grant for USD 6.2 million has been approved for Lesotho for the following areas.

Food Security: 1.Emergency agriculture interventions for vulnerable farmers 2.Food parcels or cash transfers to most vulnerable population.

Health and Nutrition: 1.Management of moderate, acute and severe malnutrition 2.Strengthening of disease surveillance

Overview 2011/12 Crop Production Season

• Regional cereal harvest (maize, rice, wheat, sorghum and millet) dropped by 4% in 2012 compared to 2011,but still 5% above five year average - 2012 harvest lowest in past 3 years
• Compared to 2011 harvest, all countries experienced a decrease in cereal production except Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, estimated to have some increases

Overview 2012/13 Marketing Year: Cereal Balance