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Burundi Remote Monitoring Update, December 2018

Countries
Burundi
+ 2 more
Sources
FEWS NET
Publication date
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Near-average season A harvests will be delayed, prolonging the lean season

Key Messages

Late and poorly distributed rainfall at the start of Season A is expected to delay the harvest across most of Burundi to January/February 2019, prolonging the lean season by one to two months. Although harvests are expected to be near-average at the national level, localized areas are likely to have below-average harvests. As a result, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are most likely through May 2019.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (ISTEEBU), national staple food prices increased slightly by 1.3 percent from October to November, but remained 9.1 percent below prices in the same period in 2017. Given that demand for agricultural labor remains near normal, access to food is better than 2017 despite a slight decline in the daily wage, according to key informants. However, total income is low and poor households are unable to meet their non-food needs.

Humanitarian food assistance and livelihoods programs continue to enable Stressed! (IPC Phase 2!) outcomes for vulnerable IDP, Congolese refugee, and Burundian returnee populations. Nearly all international NGOs have resumed their activities following the October suspension. Should planned assistance not be adequately funded, activities in school feeding, child nutrition, livelihoods interventions for IDPs, and food assistance to refugees would be cut. As a result, many of these households would deteriorate to Crisis (IPC Phase 3).