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Lesotho

Lesotho Food Insecurity Situation Report #1 – 20 July 2012

Attachments

I. HIGHLIGHTS / KEY PRIORITIES

  • Lesotho's food security has declined alarmingly for the second year in a row. The consecutive impact of drought and late rains in the cropping season 2011-2012 adds on the increasingly vulnerable situation of rural Lesotho after a poor harvest in 2010-2011 due to heavy rains.
  • The combined production of cereals in Lesotho represents only some 32% of the normal harvest and the lowest in 10 years by far, a decade highly impacted by climate change-induced shocks.
  • Preliminary Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee (LVAC) results issued 17 July 2012 indicated 725,000 people are food insecure.
  • UN agencies in coordination with the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) of Lesotho and NGOs are currently defining a multi sector emergency and recovery response plan to mitigate the impact of food insecurity and vulnerability in the country.