Highlights
Through enhanced efficiency measures, WFP has reduced the cost of delivering assistance, bringing down the total cost of its lean season response. It still requires US$19.3 million to meet the needs through March for some 389,544 food insecure people.
281,286 (146,269 female and 135,017 male) people received assistance in the December distribution cycle.
The unfolding impacts of the El Niño phenomenon, now projected to continue through March 2016 according to Zimbabwe’s Meteorological Services Department, raise concerns for food security as late onset of rains, below normal rainfall, and higher than average temperatures affect 2015/16 crop production, livestock, and rural livelihoods.
Situation Update
The full impact of El Niño continues to be experienced across the country, including late onset of rains by 20– to 30-days in the eastern parts of the country. As of late December, most areas in the western and southern parts of the country have received less than 100 mm of rainfall—a concerning amount given that the average seasonal totals for the December to March period typically range between 450 and 650 mm of rainfall. Areas that experienced early onset of rains were affected by subsequent prolonged dry conditions and high temperatures, negatively affecting crops.
Zimbabwe continues to face the largest national cereal deficit in the region, with a gap of around 645,000 mt3.
Although the national average maize grain prices have remained stable at around US$0.38/kg for the October- December 2015 quarter, this is 18 percent higher than the 5-year average.
Communities experiencing prolonged dry conditions are reportedly panicking in view of constrained food access, including from poor vegetable production. Farmer to farmer sales have stopped, and most rely on cereal purchases for survival, with food assistance providing a major source of cereal. Livelihood options are limited, with declining opportunities for casual field labour and increased cases of livestock death. Many households have resorted to coping strategies such as skipping meals or reducing portion sizes. Some have resorted to illegal firewood sales for income.