Highlights
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) approved US$3.14 million to commence immediate, life-saving humanitarian interventions. This funding will enable the World Food Programme and UNICEF to provide food and emergency water and sanitation services to 95,000 of the most vulnerable people.
A nutrition Rapid SMART revealed Acute Malnutrition of 3.1% and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) of 2.5%, with all severe cases having oedema in the Hhohho and Lubombo low veld areas.
Results from recent assessments show that lack of access to food is reducing adherence to anti-retroviral treatment (ART).
UNICEF has signed an agreement with World Vision Swaziland to; provide water for 20,000 beneficiaries in schools and communities; conduct growth and nutritional monitoring of children under 5 years; and, establish community based child protection committees in the two hardest hit regions (Shiselweni and Lumbobo). UNICEF will utilize CERF funding to implement WASH activities to meet the needs of a further 35 schools and 24 clinics, benefiting 75,000 people.
The Government of Swaziland has committed approximately US$7 million to meet the immediate needs of the most affected, which will cover around 25% of health and nutrition needs and 20% of rural WASH needs.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Following the declaration of the emergency as a result of the drought on 18 of February, the Government of Swaziland has made efforts to address the growing humanitarian needs. The emergency was declared for an initial two-month period which has been extended for a further two months until end June 2016 and will be revised on a rolling basis for successive months. Following the issuing of the National Drought Emergency Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (NERMAP) 2016-2022 the government has committed approximately US$7 million to respond to the immediate needs of the most affected in Shiselweni and Lumbobo regions. The overall NERMAP humanitarian requirement is US$80.5 million of which US$23 million is required to respond to the immediate needs of the population.
Food support and water supply remain the priority immediate humanitarian needs among communities in the worst affected regions of Lubombo and Shiselweni, however there are also pockets of people in need in the Hhohho and Manzini regions. The NERMAP 2016-2022 had estimated that from March 2016 a minimum of 300,320 people, (about one third of the population), will be in need of food assistance. According to preliminary information from recent assessments, this number is expected to increase to 350,000 from May 2016 onwards, with a worst case scenario of 538,000 people in need of food assistance, of whom approximately 200,000 are at risk of not accessing safe water to drink.