Attachments
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
The country has been facing one of the worst drought crises ever since the 1990s. Rains continue to be rare, and production does not even cover 1% of the country's food needs. Most of the Cape Verdean population lives from agriculture (22% of the active population is employed by the agricultural sector, of which 82% is in rural areas); and tourism affected by COVID measures (around 70%). This situation has caused approximatively 24.2% of the population to live in poverty and 9.2% in extreme poverty.
Farmers find it increasingly difficult to continue their productive activities. After more than four seasons of considerable rainfall deficit, agricultural productivity yields have deteriorated drastically dwindled and aquifers did not recharge, which affects access to water for the population and their livelihood activities.
The 2021-2022 agro pastoral campaign was characterized by a late start and an early end to the rains, throughout the national territory. Overall agricultural production varies from low to nil, depending on the agro-climatic strata of the municipalities. Cereal production is estimated at 640 tons of maize, recording an 80% decrease, compared to the average of the last 5 years. As for bean production, it has fallen by 90% compared to the average of the last 5 years and stands at 197 tons.
As a result, the Government of Cape Verde declared the situation a national drought emergency on 16 February 2022.
This was contrary to the forecasts of the Agrhymet Centre which predicted a campaign with a rainfall varying from normal to excess and a regular to early start for the Sahel region.
To support the Government, this DREF Operation was launched on 16 April 2022 to provide immediate food assistance, while implementing livelihood preparedness and protection activities, deploying actions to prevent malnutrition and ensuring improved access to water in a bid to act ahead of the worsening crisis. Indeed, at the time, projections for the lean period, from June to August 2022, indicated that 46,093 people in would be food insecure (10% of the population) including 43,003 in crisis phase (IPC 3) and 3,090 in the emergency phase (IPC 4)2.