Highlights
Food insecurity is increasing in Chicualacuala and other parts of Gaza, where people are surviving mainly on wild foods. The livestock ban, issued because of foot and mouth disease, is further undermining food security by reducing household income normally used to purchase food in a drought year like this one. Unmet food aid deliveries make the situation even worse in the Upper Limpopo.
In Northern Inhambane, first season production is a near total failure in all districts visited by an assessment team from CARE. The consumption of wild food is widespread in most places. The situation in the interior zones is aggravated by very limited market access to sell local commodities and buy food. An increase in food prices could also affect access to food in the coastal areas.
In Buzi District, families have varied options for food consumption at the moment. Food availability and access is not a constraint to most families in contrast to places like northern Gaza or Inhambane.
The upcoming harvest is expected to be very good for much of the productive central and northern zones.
The lack of markets for the northern and central surpluses may emerge as a major problem in the coming months. Unlike last season, the demand for Mozambican surpluses may be very limited from Malawi, where national food stocks are high and a good harvest is forecast.
In spite of limited demand from Malawian markets, a new cross border trade dynamic is emerging with Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans are entering the bordering districts of Manica (Barue, Manica and Mosssurise), and Gaza (Chicualacuala) in search of food.
Cyclone "Japhet", despite the damage caused to crops and infrastructure, brought relief in terms of water supply to many areas that had seen minimal rainfall for the main part of the season. The precipitation brought by the cyclone improved soil moisture, encouraging a second season planting.
A third round of Vulnerability Assessments is now being planned for April/May 2003, to update information on the food security status of rural households. The data and analysis process will be divided into four phases: (a) evaluation of crops and food availability; (b) livelihood based analysis; (c) evaluation of the impact of HIV/AIDS on food security (d) rapid nutritional study.
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