Botswana

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

The increasing cases of mulnutrition in the Kweneng district has been attributed to shortage of food commodities resulting in the insufficient supply to primary schools and health facilities in some areas in the district .

This was revealed in a multi-sectoral report to the Drought Inter-ministerial Assessment Team presented by the Mogoditshane/ Thamaga Sub -district.

Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi says Botswana firmly supports the 90-90-90 initiative.

Speaking during a courtesy call by UNAIDS officials, Mr Masisi said Botswana was one of the countries that declared and was reaching the 90-90-90 target.

He said Botswana was committed to the 90-90-90 target as one of the ways of dealing with HIV/AIDS challenges.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Cereal production forecast to rebound in 2017 owing to favourable weather conditions

• Food prices increased slightly in early 2017 on an annual basis

• Food security expected to improve following stressed conditions in 2016/17

Favourable seasonal rains expected to boost 2017 cereal production

WASHINGTON — Several countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including Zimbabwe, on Monday evening experienced an earth tremor described by a seismologist as out of the ordinary.

Times Live of South Africa, quoting TMG Digital, reported the tremor measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale in Gauteng occurred earlier in the day in Krugersdorp on the West Rand of Gauteng before another one hit in the evening.

Botswana is recognised as a frontrunner for the position of the first country to eliminate malaria in the Elimination 8 (E8) group of countries.

Speaking at the official hand over of 5 (4x4) Ford Ranger vehicles by Southern African Malaria Elimination 8 (E8) initiative, Minister of Health and Wellness Ms Dorcas Makgato said Botswana recorded the lowest number of Malaria cases per 1 000 population.

Ms Makgato said in the last two years, Botswana has received awards of excellence from the African Leaders Malaria Alliance for her achievements in reducing malaria.

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

The African Water Facility (AWF) and NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) signed on January 31, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa, a letter of agreement with the Orange Senqu River Basin Commission (ORASECOM) to launch the Climate Resilient Water Resources Investment Strategy and Multipurpose Project Preparation for the Orange-Senqu River Basin, shared by Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The co-financed project, amounting to about €3.5 million, includes contributions from AWF of about €2 million and $1.2 million from NEPAD-IPPF.

Otse, Botswana – When Rose Matuulane was pregnant five years ago, she had to wait for a nurse to visit her small village, Otse, to provide antenatal check-ups. When the nurse could not make it, Ms. Matuulane had to travel 84 km to the nearest clinic, in Shoghong, arriving the day before so that she could rise early and queue for hours.

The Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday donated food hampers, clothes and blankets to three families who were affected by floods in Moshupa.

Some parts of Moshupa experienced heavy rains which damaged houses, bridges and brought misery to some families.

Giving the food hampers and clothes, Mr Masisi said the items were donated by some business people after seeking help from them.

He implored other Batswana to extend a helping hand to the flood victims, adding that a thorough assessment would be made to determine what could be replaced.

Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) chief executive officer, Dr Akolang Tombale, says they have upgraded their clinic to start offering anti-retroviral treatment to its staff.

Speaking at the commemoration of the World AIDS Day in Lobatse on December 9, Dr Tombale said the clinic upgrade would assist reduce congestion in government health facilities as well as treat BMC employees holistically.

He said the initiative would also reduce employees’ movement in and out of the plant, which would in turn save costs.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Planting of 2017 crops is ongoing, under generally favourable rainfall conditions

• Cereal production dropped sharply in 2016 for the second consecutive year due to El Niño-induced drought conditions

• Food prices rise moderately in 2016

• Impact of drought causes a steep increase in number of food insecure, estimated at over 1 million

Enhanced chance of above-average rainfall conditions for 2017 crops

Situation

Due to extremely low, erratic and uneven distribution of rainfall, coupled with extreme heat waves Botswana experienced one of the worst drought conditions leading to low hectarage ploughed or planted.

The yield forecast drastically declined with the national estimated production for cereals standing at 7,382 metric tons (MT) which is 3% of the national cereal requirement of 300,000MT.

To cover the food deficit of the 1.1million people identified as in need, P176 million ($83 million) is required.

Climate variability is the greatest threat to the long-term economic viability of dryland farms.

In order to counter these uncertainties, many farmers turned to diversification as aa survival strategy.

One such farmer is Mr Nonofo Bareeleng, a 38-year-old resident of Kang in Kgalagadi District. He is not a novice to farming because he grew up in a family where agriculture buttered their daily bread. Armed with such background, he knew that farming would be a gateway to greener pastures in his life.

Otse, Botswana – When Rose Matuulane was pregnant five years ago, she had to wait for a nurse to visit her small village, Otse, to provide antenatal check-ups. When the nurse could not make it, Ms. Matuulane had to travel 84 km to the nearest clinic, in Shoghong, arriving the day before so that she could rise early and queue for hours.

If she or any other woman additionally needed a family planning consultation, cervical cancer screening, HIV testing and counselling, or HIV treatment, they would have to come back another day, waiting again for hours.

17,000 adolescents with HIV

ALL IN to #EndAdolescentAIDS

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Cereal production in 2016 declined for second consecutive year on account of El Niño‑induced drought conditions
  
• Food prices rise moderately in 2016 with appreciation of Pula against South African Rand lessening imported inflation
  
• Drought in 2016 causes increase in number of food insecure

Drought conditions result in second consecutive below‑average cereal output in 2016

Jane Gordon is about to embark on her third AVID assignment since 2013, and it all began with an Australian Red Cross role in Botswana.

One of the reasons Jane decided to volunteer was the fact that she had spent much of her career working on the "other side"– for a donor agency. She saw volunteering as the ideal way to round out her experience by being part of the implementing agency on the receiving end of donor funds.

Low regional cereal supply levels triggers price increases in parts of Southern Africa

Key Messages

Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse, says the country has been experiencing severe drought that affected both arable and pastoral farming.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Semolale in the Bobonong constituency on April 26, he said it was against this background that government declared drought in the country through efforts such as subsidised stock feeds.

He said in 2013/14, stock feeds were reduced by 20 per cent and further reduced by 50 per cent in 2014/15.