Emergency Plan of Action (Epoa) Mauritania: Food Insecurity
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Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) Mauritania: Food Insecurity Emergency Appeal n° MDRMR007 Glide n°OT-2011-000205-NER Emergency Appeal date of launch: 12 May 2015 Expected timeframe: 9 months, Expected end date: February 2016 Appeal budget: CHF 998,467 - CHF 100,000 DREF allocated Total number of people affected: 260,000 people in crisis Number of people to be assisted: (phase 3). Projected situation for June is: 851,000 people Immediate intervention: 8,400 beneficiaries (1,400 under pressure (phase 2), 443,000 people in crisis (phase households1) and 2,000 children and pregnant and 3) and 21,000 in emergency (phase 4). lactating women Middle term: 27,000 people in Brakna and Hodh El Gharbi Regions Host National Society(ies) presence (n° of volunteers, staff, branches: 3 branches in Brakna Region (500 volunteers) and 2 branches in Hodh El Gharbi Region (200 volunteers) Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners actively involved in the operation: French Red Cross, ICRC (capacity building) Other partner organizations actively involved in the operation: WFP, ACF, OXFAM Intermon, FAO, UNICEF, UNOCHA A. Situation analysis Description of the disaster This Food Security crisis is a regional crisis affecting the Sahel area2; consequently this appeal is part of wider response in the Region and is included in the IFRC Sahel Food Insecurity Regional Operational Strategic Plan. Africa DMU and IFRC Sahel Regional Office has identified 6 strategic areas that would be best appropriate to help expedite the response actions by National Societies and enable the regional office to provide appropriate and timely action. These comprise the following: information gathering and data analysis; communication and advocacy; coordination of project design DREF/Appeals; resource mobilization and enhancing partnerships; timely monitoring and evaluation and accountability and quality assurance. In 2014, the rainfall in Mauritania was marked by a late start in all provinces of the country and poor spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation. Compared to the average of the last 5 years (2008-2013), 90% of pluviometric stations in the country showed a rainfall deficit, making 2014 one of the most deficit years of the past 10 years3. Considering the meteorological data, Tagant appears as one of the most affected areas in rainfall deficit. Significant areas of the following regions are also negatively impacted by the rainfall deficit; this is the Brakna, Gorgol, northern Assaba and Guidimaka, Hodh El Gharbi and the east of Hodh Chargui. The provinces of the north as well as northern Trarza are also affected. As shown in the map (below) the southern regions of Mauritania have not had sufficient rain for normal agricultural production. This rainfall deficit has affected the crops types grown by the poor and vulnerable households. In fact, cereal production (millet, sorghum, maize) this year is 71,587 tons, against 112,736 in 2013, which means a decrease of 36.5% compared to 2013, and a decrease of 61% compared to the average of the past five years4. 1 Household size determined on local average of 6 people/household 2 According to the Regional Harmonized Framework (March 2015) population in food insecurity in March is 23,052,000 people in under-pressure phase (p.2) and 4,749,000 people in crisis phase (p.3). Projected situation for June-August 2015 predict that the figures increase to 26,615,000 people in under-pressure phase, 7,364,000 people in crisis (phase 3) and 244,000 in emergency situation (phase 4). 3 Source: “Enquête de suivi de la sécurité alimentaire (FSMS)” CSA-WFP, Feb 2015 4 Source: “Cadre Harmonisé d’analyse et d’identification des zones à risque et des populations en insécurité alimentaire au Sahel et en Afrique de l’Ouest (CH)”, Commissariat de la Sécurité Alimentaire (CSA) in partnership with CILSS, FEWS NET, WFP, FAO, ACF, OXFAM, March 2015. P a g e | 2 Water plants needs satisfaction index in 2014 compared to a normal year This rainfall deficit has had consequences for livestock, which is the main source of income for households in rural areas. The majority of pastures are not mature due to the early end of rains and frequent dry spells. This pasture deficit has affected most of the wilayas (regions), and pastoral conditions continue to deteriorate under the effects of atypical transhumance, which is the practice of moving livestock from one grazing ground to another in a seasonal cycle. This practice is contributing to pastoral overloads in some areas. Livestock prices are falling and trends are not favourable because of destocking and losses. Animal feed is increasingly required and at high prices. Average prices are between 5,600 in Nouakchott and 7,500 MRO in the western region, which means a 56.25% price increase compared to the same period of 2014. The reduction of crop production in certain areas of the country is also accompanied by a decline in demand for agricultural labour. This represents a significant loss of incomes to poor households that generally get cash through these kinds of activities. Except for the South Trarza Valley where irrigated agricultural activities and seasonal labour demands seem stable, the agricultural activities in the rest of the country are significantly diminished and are further limiting household incomes. In pastoral areas, transhumance has also reduced the demand for labour, as casual labour is often hired to graze the animals. Currently the main source of income remains the sale of animals. Compared to the previous two months, the prices of old and lean animals continue to fall. The prices of traditional staples (millet and sorghum) are also experiencing significant increases since mid-March, while those of imported products like rice, wheat and flour, are following the same trend. Food Insecurity Situation In January 2014, 18.5% of households were food insecure. This is high considering it was post-harvest season. Later in the lean season, which was between June-September 2014, this had grown to 26.3% of households that were food insecure. By early January 2015, this number had slightly reduced to 23.8% of Mauritanian households as food insecure, but this is post-harvest season.5 This is not only the highest rate observed in post-harvest period since the establishment of the biannual monitoring system of household food security; it also means that a lot of households that were food insecure in June 2014 did not come out of this situation and will now face a consecutive lean period placing them at further disadvantage. According to the last Harmonized Framework in March 2015, the food insecure population within Mauritania is estimated to be 723,000 people who are under pressure (phase 2) and an additional 260,000 people are in crisis (phase 3). This reflects a gradual deterioration of the situation particularly for the rain-fed farming that faces a second 5 837,000 people are food insecure in early January 2015 against 635,000 people during the same period of the previous year. These figures are substantially similar to those of the lean season in 2014. Source: “Enquête de suivi de la sécurité alimentaire (FSMS)” CSA-WFP, Feb 2015 P a g e | 3 year of bad crop. The projected situation for June-August 2015 predicts that the figures increase to 851,000 people will be under-pressure (phase 2), 443,000 people will be in crisis (phase 3) and 21,000 people will be in emergency situation (phase 4). Current and Projected Food Security Situation (Source: “Harmonized Framework – March 2015-“) It is predicted that the number of people stressed will reach 1,315,000 people by June 2015 (phases 2, 3 and 4). Main affected areas6 are the provinces of Hodh Elchargui (19.5% of the total population), Assaba (16.3%), Brakna (14.9%), Gorgol (14.6%), Hodh Elgharbi (14%) and Guidimakha (13.9%). Current and projected Food Security affected population by Region (Source: “Harmonized Framework – March 2015-“) Malnutrition Situation The Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence is 6.2% (Harmonized Framework, March 2015). This is supported by the various nutritional surveys carried out at the post-harvest period, which ranged from 5.6 to 8.5% nationally. No region of the country exceeds the 10% threshold, but the regions of Hodh El Charqui (9.6%), Guidimakha (9.4%), Brakna (8.8%) and Gorgol (7.7%) are the most affected. <click here to go to the appeal budget, here for map of affected area and here for contact details > 6 The percentage has been calculated based on total affected population par region related to total affected population in the country. The figures used are the affected population (in phases 3 and 4) according the projected scenario of June 2015. P a g e | 4 Summary of the current response Overview of Host National Society Mauritanian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) was one of the first humanitarian organizations in Mauritania (since December 1970). It has branches in every region (56 branches in total). In this region it has a network of 700 volunteers. MRCS has a good relationship with all humanitarian stakeholders (UNICEF, WFP, NGOs and Government Agencies), and with some of them has implemented food security (FS) and WASH programmes. Related to this crisis, Mauritanian Red Crescent supported by the IFRC Regional office in Dakar conducted an assessment on food and nutrition situation of households affected by the lack of rainfall during the rainy season in 20147. Even if the zones assessed are not among the most affected areas of the country (in terms of number of people food insecure), results of this assessment showed effects of the rainfall deficit recorded in 2014, which included farming areas abandoned during the 2014-2015 campaign, crop fields reduced compared to last year, significant decrease in market garden production, pasture areas are totally destroyed, and herds migrating to the South).