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Southern Africa Weekly Update (24 April - 3 May 2017)

Countries
Mozambique
+ 11 more
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

Regional Overview

Region
The April 2017 harvest is expected to be above-average, with Tanzania, parts of Madagascar and northern Mozambique the exceptions. A good agricultural season is critical after two consecutive droughts led to unprecedented levels of food insecurity. Countries in the region continue to battle several hazards with potentially detrimental effects on food security, including an armyworm outbreak.

Angola
As of 20 April, UNHCR reports that more than 11,000 people have crossed the border from Kasai (DRC) into Angola - an average of 500 per day since 13 April. The first gathering point is a transition centre known as Conduegi, 7 km from the border, where currently about 170 people are staying. The second site is called Mussunge, and hosts some 4,311 people, mainly women and children. Two children have reportedly died of cholera in Mussunge. The site is overcrowded, and authorites are planning to move the Congolese to a third site called Cacanda, which currently hosts about 6,570 people.

Malawi
The Food Security Cluster has reached approximately 5.3 million people (79 per cent of the planned 6.7 million people) with lifesaving food and cash-based assistance across 24 districts. WFP’s food price monitoring shows that at the end of February 2017 maize prices were declining across all the 25 monitored districts compared to previous weeks (from 270 MWK/kg in January to 250 MWK/kg) and were 20 per cent lower than the same time last year.

Madagascar
By late March the number of people affected by Tropical Cyclone Enawo stabilised at 434,000, with 58 districts out of 119 reporting damages. The economic losses are estimated to be $400 million, corresponding to about 4 per cent of annual GDP, according to an assessment conducted by the CPGU (Cellule de Prevention et de Gestion des Urgences) and the World Bank. The agriculture sector alone recorded losses of $207 million. While those who were displaced to temporary shelters have returned home or to their relatives, post-Enawo weather conditions are still triggering new landslides, which recently caused 8 deaths and widespread damages in Maroantsetra District. To date, the Enawo Flash Appeal, budgeted at $20.1 million, is 45 per cent funded (with $9.3 million received). This includes a CERF allocation of $5 million. The Appeal will soon be revised to reflect the expected humanitarian needs for the next six months, based on in-depth sectoral assessments.

Mozambique
Flood and cyclones earlier in the year have affected 66,616 ha, representing 1.2 per cent of the total area planted, with 61,113 farmers affected. There have also been delays in rainfall in rice-growing areas, which may result in a 30 per cent to 40 per cent production decrease. As at 24 April, 21 per cent of the amount required to respond to the effects of Tropical Cyclone Dineo (which hit mid-February 2017) has been mobilised ($2.2 million against a requirement of $10.2 million).

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.