Highlights
• In the southern provinces the current harvest will not cover more than three to four months of food needs. Food insecurity is predicted to worsen from August.
• Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates are still critical. Caseloads of SAM with complications are increasing in Huila Province.
• In the southern provinces, 30% of the existing boreholes are non-functional, less than 20% of communities have access to safe water and adequate sanitation facilities. Water availability is diminishing fast again.
Situation Overview
Southern Angola has been affected by recurrent cycles of droughts and floods since 2008. In 2015, 1.4m people in 7 provinces were affected by El Niño. About 78% live in three provinces of southern Angola, namely Cunene (with 56% people affected), Huila and Namibe. Agricultural and livestock losses were estimated to be about $242.5m in 2015.
This year, the National Institute of Cereals in the Ministry of Agriculture estimates a production deficit of 40%. The traditional bread basket comprising of northeast Cunene and the eastern part of Huila received insufficient rains to cater for the food needs of the rest of the region. According to the Provincial Directorates of Agriculture, food insecurity is predicted to worsen from August, possibly to be exacerbated by la Niña effects that could include flooding. Furthermore, due to the lack of food, grains were harvested before they were ripe enough and cannot be used as seeds for next season in addition to the, yields being insufficient to cover the food needs of the population.
The market is experiencing severe price increases, for example, prices of bread, millet flour and tomatoes have doubled in the last three weeks.
After multiple Foot and Mouth (FMD) outbreaks in 2015 and 2016 livestock market reopened on 3rd June after a one-year closure. However, livestock markets remain closed in Cuangar municipality, Cuando Cubango province (Southern-East of Angola). Water for livestock remains a challenge. Short and irregular rains did not sufficiently recharge the underground water table resulting in water shortages for both humans and livestock. The precarious situation is manifesting itself in the early start of the Transhumance which started in early June about two months in advance of its normal cycle.
Malnutrition decreased during April. However, WHO data on 9th June 2016 on SAM caseloads associated with complications, shows that it is raising again in Huila (graphic).
Malaria outbreaks started to decrease, with the end of rain season; however, strengthening prevention activities and addressing shortages in treatment remain a priority.
As per 7th June, a total of 3,023 yellow fever suspected cases has been recorded in 18/18 provinces of Angola, including 337 deaths (case fatality rate 11.1%), 4 deaths were reported in Cunene, 22 in Huila and 1 in Namibe.
In Huila, the vaccination campaign was done in the three affected municipalities.