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In Brief
This Information Bulletin (no. 2/2005) contains preliminary information and data with regards to the Food Insecurity situation in Southern Africa region. As a number of assessments and fact finding mission results will be published by the end of June 2005, a subsequent bulletin presenting final data will be issued by early July 2005.
The initial indications from the currently on-going vulnerability assessment committee (VAC) / FAO / WFP crop and food supply assessment missions (CFSAM) are that crop harvests will be significantly reduced this season. Crop yields are expected to be below last season's levels, and below the 5-year average, with maize production forecast to decline by between 10 - 30% in most countries. However, given the bumper maize harvest in South Africa, coupled with large carryover stocks from last season (for an estimated 3 million MT surplus), the surpluses are expected to boost regional maize availability to a level sufficient to meet the import requirements of maize deficit countries.
The WFP overall view is that the situation is comparable to 2002, and in some places is even worse. However, given the patchy production situation in all countries, the response will be complicated. WFP position is that the response will be much more measured than was the case in previous years in keeping with the more developmental response needed across the region to deal with the structural deficits. Countries likely to be severely affected are Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zambia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
In order to provide an effective safety net for some of the most vulnerable and food insecure people in the region, the Red Cross Societies in Southern Africa will operate through an integrated approach to their programming, focusing on existing HIV/AIDS programmes, as set out in the document Not Business As Usual (www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?anual05/logframes/africa/05AA018SA.pdf).
The Situation
Southern Africa faces a number of food security challenges: ensuring adequate availability of food to all, now and in the future; ensuring access to sufficient food for all; ensuring that there is adequate safety nets and food emergency management systems to provide people that are unable to meet their food needs from their own efforts, and mitigate the extreme impact of natural or other disasters on people; empowering people to make best choices for safe and nutritious food; possessing adequate information to ensure monitoring and evaluation of the impact of food security programmes on the target population. The Southern Africa food insecurity situation, coupled with the impact of HIV and AIDS, requires an integrated response, aligned with the 1996 World Food Summit definition of food security: "attain universal physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food by all people at all times to meet their dietary and food preferences for an active and healthy life".
Most countries in the Region [Lesotho, Malawi (southern part), Mozambique (southern and central parts), Swaziland, Zambia (the southern half) and Zimbabwe (southern and western districts)] experienced their fourth consecutive year of drought. Consequently, the food security situation remains worrisome in these countries. National vulnerability assessments are currently underway in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition, the governments of the above-mentioned countries, with the exception of Zimbabwe, have formally requested for FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Missions (CFSAM), whose results will help verify and validate the information coming out of government-led crop forecast and food security assessments. The CFSAM results and reports of the VAC assessments are expected in May-June for all countries. The assessment results will form the basis for any subsequent appeals or plans that articulate appropriate interventions and other programming decisions by donors, governments and other humanitarian organizations. Details of the planned FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment missions to Southern Africa are given in Annex 3.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
In Zimbabwe: Françoise Le Goff, Federation Head of Southern Africa Regional Delegation, Harare; Email ifrczw02@ifrc.org; and Davide Zappa, Federation Regional Disaster Management Coordinator, Harare; Email ifrczw70@ifrc.org; Phone +263.4.705.166/67; Fax +263.4.708.784
In Geneva: Terry Carney, Federation Regional Officer for Southern Africa, Africa Dept.; Email terry.carney@ifrc.org; Phone +41.22.730.4298; Fax + 41.22.733.03.95
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org
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