Latest Headlines:

Poor 2009/10 millet harvest in West Africa’s eastern Sahel region

Estimated food security conditions, 4th Quarter 2009 (October-December)

Generally Food Secure
Moderately Food Insecure
Highly Food Insecure
Extremely Food Insecure
Famine
No Data

Favorable Conditions
Somewhat Favorable Conditions
Short Term Dryness
Drought
Severe Drought
Humanitarian Concern

Extreme Event
Heavy Snow
Heavy Rain
Flooding
Blowing Dust
Extreme Cold
Extreme Heat

The FEWS NET Food Insecurity Severity Scale Read Descriptions
Geographic data are partly derived from the UN/FAO GAUL system. Read Disclaimer

West Africa

Nigeria

11/25/2009

Household food security is stable following the conclusion of the 2009 growing season throughout the country. Harvest increased market supplies and drove foo ... more
- Household food security is stable following the conclusion of the 2009 growing season throughout the country. Harvest increased market supplies and drove food prices downward, improving food access at household levels throughout the country, except in the extreme North. There, production shortages, difficult access for to pasture and water for livestock, and high food prices are posing a livelihoods threat to poor households. However, most poor households will not slip into high food insecurity, as significant coping options exist in the affected areas.
- Overall, normal to above-normal cereal crop production is expected in the North, with above-normal production expected in the North-Central for major staple foods, such as maize, sorghum, cowpea, and millet. In the northern parts of the states of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto, millet and cowpea production, and to a lesser extent maize, sorghum, and groundnut production, is expected to be below average.
- Market supply for major tubers and cereal crops is high across local and urban markets due to the good harvest nationally as a result of favorable rains. Most local and urban markets registered price declines as traders are adjusting their prices downward in response to increased food availability and low demand. The level of domestic and cross-border trading is high when compared to previous months, but unusually low when compared to a normal year in November.
Nigeria Country Center
Burkina Faso | Chad | Mali | Mauritania | Niger | Regional Center

Southern Africa

Malawi

11/25/2009

National food security conditions remain favorable. However, the food insecure population in southern Malawi has increased from 147,000 to 275,000. There is ... more
- National food security conditions remain favorable. However, the food insecure population in southern Malawi has increased from 147,000 to 275,000. There is a need for urgent action to scale up the response. Although the number of food insecure households in Balaka, Zomba, Chikwawa, and Nsanje has increased, there is no need for external food assistance, because the Malawi government has more than 130,000 tons of maize in the strategic grain reserve for humanitarian responses.
- Rain has started in all three regions of Malawi. Agricultural activities include land preparation, acquisition of farm inputs, and planting. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has projected a high likelihood of floods in the northern part of the country and prolonged dry spells in southern part. The government has raised awareness of the likelihood of these hazards in the relevant areas and is developing a national contingency plan in case of emergency.
- Although the government provided the maize for DoDMA to start the humanitarian response in September, the response will not start until the end of November. This is because DoDMA did not have funds to pay for transportation costs, and it requested that WFP implement the response; in late October, the latter managed to source enough funding to deliver the food to 147,000 people.
Malawi Country Center
Mozambique | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Regional Center

Caribbean

Haiti

11/16/2009

As of October 2009, the food insecure population is estimated at 1.8 million people. This figure should show a downward trend through March 2010. This decrea ... more
- As of October 2009, the food insecure population is estimated at 1.8 million people. This figure should show a downward trend through March 2010. This decrease is due to several factors, including good agricultural performance of the last season; low inflation (especially for the category of food, beverages and tobacco), the continuation of infrastructure projects across the country, and weather conditions favorable to national agricultural production of the season in progress (August 2009-January 2010). The 2009 hurricane season that will end in November 2009 has not been detrimental to date.
- However, these factors alone can not lead to substantial improvements in food security conditions in the baseline scenario considered. Other factors to take into account include the price of oil on the international market and inflation in the U.S. dollar versus the gourde. These two variables would increase the price of imported goods and thus lead to a resumption of inflation.
- For a significant improvement of food security, CNSA and FEWS NET suggest that the Government and its partners take the following measures: 1) To assist farmers to gain time for the winter crop (November 2009 to February 2010), agricultural inputs are required; 2) Develop and implement programs to improve nutrition and health of students in core classes, especially in poor neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, and in the Northwest and Southeast regions.
Haiti Country Center

East Africa

Djibouti

11/25/2009

Most pastoral poor households are facing survival deficits due to poor successive seasons and high staple food prices, particularly in the Northwest and Sout ... more
- Most pastoral poor households are facing survival deficits due to poor successive seasons and high staple food prices, particularly in the Northwest and Southeast border pastoral livelihood zones, which are highly food insecure. Households in the Central pastoral zones are facing livelihood protection deficits. The numbers of persons in need of emergency assistance both food and livelihood protection interventions are expected to increase for the coming months if the current poor rainfall persists.
- In urban areas, food security situation is precarious due to high unemployment rate and high staple food prices. High malnutrition rates have been observed in Balbala according to the preliminary results of a July 2009 MSF study. Water shortages and the increase in water prices in Balbala area are also concerns.
- Though livestock exports have risen by 500 percent since the opening of a livestock export facility in in 2007, the recent lifting of Saudi Arabia’s import ban on Somali livestock may have negative effects on exports from Djibouti, resulting to livelihood crisis for those poor households who rely on related activities for their daily income.
Djibouti Country Center
Ethiopia | Kenya | Somalia | Sudan | Tanzania | Uganda | Regional Center

Central America

Guatemala

11/20/2009

Food insecurity increased due to a combination of climatic, economic, and health factors, giving rise to an increase in the number of acute malnutrition case ... more
- Food insecurity increased due to a combination of climatic, economic, and health factors, giving rise to an increase in the number of acute malnutrition cases among children under five years of age, especially in the dry corridor.
- The rainy season from August to November was below normal, which affected the postrera crops and the human health. The most vulnerable areas were in the dry corridor, which includes parts of the center and the east, and some municipalities in Quiché and Huehuetenango departments.
- September to March is the high season for unskilled labor in agricultural exports, such as coffee, sugarcane, melon, and watermelon, among others. Although demand for seasonal labor should be normal, there is a surplus of people seeking work in the sector, so many of those potential workers will not find work or obtain sufficient resources to purchase food.
- To target food aid, it is important to determine the extent of crop losses, the state of food insecurity, and the amount of household reserves during the early months of 2010. Such aid should include the timely distribution of agricultural inputs at the beginning of the year to improve yields from the primera harvest of basic grains next year.
Guatemala Country Center

Central Asia

Afghanistan

11/30/2009

Following the historically large 2009 harvest, this year’s generous WFP and Afghanistan government food assistance, successful winter prepositioning, and mo ... more
- Following the historically large 2009 harvest, this year’s generous WFP and Afghanistan government food assistance, successful winter prepositioning, and modest beginnings of a national wheat grain reserves, Afghanistan’s food balance is expected to be in good position in the coming months and throughout the winter.
- The 2009 winter wheat plantation campaign was successful with 40,000 tons of certified and quality declared seeds distributed in 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
- October 2009 wheat market prices are slightly higher than long-term average with exception of Mazar and Hirat provinces, where wheat market prices are lower than long-term average by 9 and 23.
Afghanistan Country Center