REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Overall, the 2006/07 agricultural season has started relatively well thanks to favourable rainfall in most of the southern African region. However, late or insufficient rainfall and poor distribution may affect yields and area planted, potentially affecting final harvest prospects in southern and central Mozambique, southern Zambia, parts of southern Zimbabwe, among others. The persistence of moderate El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean is a source of concern for the second half of the rainy season, from January through March. Although there is

Weekly Introduction:

Tropical Cyclone Bondo

Tropical Cyclone Bondo developed into a very powerful storm in the southwestern Indian Ocean. The storm intensity peaked at 110 knots before starting to weaken. By the time Bondo made landfall, it had been down graded to a tropical storm with winds at about 60 knots. Bondo developed on December 18th near Diego Garcia and dissipated on December 26th in the Mozambique Channel.

Over 200 million for Education in Emergency and Post Crisis Countries

GENEVA/THE HAGUE, 22 December 2006 - Millions of children in the developing world have a new ray of hope as the Dutch government today announced it has pledged $201 million to UNICEF to radically expand the agency's ongoing efforts to ensure that children in conflict, natural disasters and emerging from crisis can go to school.

It is the single largest earmarked donation UNICEF has received in its 60-year history. While schooling children stuck in emergencies, whether conflict or natural disasters, is a core part of

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe's government needs to drastically cut spending and also to prioritise expenditure to ensure adequate food imports, the IMF said on Monday, warning that Zimbawe's economic crisis could worsen without fundamental policy changes.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team promised no immediate help for Zimbabwe's beleaguered economy after spending 10 days in the country for annual consultations.

But the IMF said the country -- now in its sixth year of a recession critics blame on Mugabe's policies -- needed

APPEAL AND BUDGET REVISION

The Federation's vision is to strive, through voluntary action, for a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crises with hope, respect for dignity and a concern for equity. Its mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries.

In Brief

Period covered: July to November 2006.

This Programme Update revises the total

1.The Government of Japan has decided to extend food aid totaling 930 million yen through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to countries and regions in need of food in a fragile transitional stage. Notes to this effect were exchanged on December 15 (Fri) in Rome between Mr. Yuji Nakamura, Japanese Ambassador to Italy, and Ms. Sheila Sisulu, Deputy Executive Director of the WFP.

2.The breakdown of this assistance is as follows:

(1) For vulnerable people in the Republic of Malawi (200 million yen)

(2) For vulnerable people in the Republic of Sierra Leone (170 million yen)

By James Elder

As UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman joins political leaders, experts and celebrities at a White House summit on fighting malaria in Africa - part of the five-year, $1.2 billion US President's Malaria Initiative - UNICEF's James Elder tells the story of one young boy's battle with the disease, highlighting the importance of donor support.

HARARE, Zimbabwe, 13 December 2006 - Young Prince Mafunga was suffering under the weight of his malaria symptoms. For two days, he had a high fever, his head throbbed relentlessly and his joints burnt.

Weekly Introduction:

Positive ENSO conditions and the Indian Ocean Dipole remain in place

Although there has been a slight amount of cooling in the eastern tropical Pacific, sea surface temperatures remain well above normal across most of the basin. Positive ENSO conditions (or El Nino conditions) are expected to remain in place through the end of the southern Africa growing season.

Summary and implications

The food security status of many households across the region remains stable, although there are signs that household food supplies are now tightening as the hunger season sets in. Food prices have generally remained stable and below last year and the past five years' average, but prices noticeably increased in November in select markets, indicating decreasing market supplies and raising concerns about growing food access problems among vulnerable populations. This is particularly true in Zimbabwe, where markets are generally inadequately