Malawi Monthly SitRep #1 Reporting Period: January 2014

Highlights

 The number of food insecure population in Malawi, as of January 2014, is estimated at 1,894,782 having increased from 1,461,940 initially projected in June 2013. The new estimate includes an additional 39,599 people that have been identified following a monitoring exercise conducted in December 2013 to verify reports of deterioration of the situation in Dedza district.

 A total 2,481 hectares of crops are reported to have been destroyed by the army worms in 12 districts. Of these 547 hectares were totally wiped out. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is distributing seeds and fertilisers to the farm families that were affected to enable them to replant.

 A total of 7, 344 households (36,720 people) have been affected by floods and storms since the onset of the rainy season in November 2013. Of these, 1,525 households (7,625 people) in Mangochi district were affected by floods that occurred on 10th January 2014.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Food security The number of food insecure population in Malawi as of January 2014 is estimated at 1,894,782 people having increased from 1,461,940 initially projected in June 2013. In the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) November 2013 update the number increased by 27% to 1,855,183 but 39,599 people have since been added following deterioration of the situation in Dedza district, in central Malawi.

In December 2013, The MVAC undertook a monitoring exercise in Dedza and Kasungu districts following reports of serious deterioration of the food security situation. As mentioned above, the verification exercise found that an additional 39,599 people in the Dedza require food assistance as they are facing serious food shortages. Plans are underway to include the additional caseload in the people being assisted. The MVAC is planning to undertake a nationwide food security situation monitoring exercise to get a holistic picture of the food security situation in the rest of the districts. The monitoring exercise will look at maize (the staple food) availability and prices during the lean period, as well as get a picture of how the current agriculture season is progressing.

Affected households in most of the areas identified by the MVAC started to receive humanitarian assistance in October 2013 with slight delays at the beginning due to logistical challenges. WFP and partners are scaling-up support to cover 95% of the vulnerable population, up to 1.8 million people, in 24 out of the country’s 28 districts through food distributions1 and cash transfers2 from October 2013 to March 2014. An international NGO consortium led by the Save the Children is assisting the remaining 5% of the at-risk population.

Floods and Storms A total of 7, 344 households (36,720 people) have been affected by floods and storms since the onset of the rainy season in November 2013. Of these, 1,525 households (7,625 people) in Mangochi district were affected by floods that occurred on 10th January 2014. The rest have been affected by wind and rain

1 1.6 million people 2 155,000 people

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 1

storms with varying levels of damage on their houses and household property. Government has been providing relief assistance to the affected households mainly food items and plastic sheeting.

2013/14 Seasonal outlook The seasonal forecast for 2013/14 rainfall season suggests Malawi is likely to experience normal total rainfall amounts. The season which started in November has so far been characterised by late onset particularly over southern Malawi but most parts of the country started receiving good rains in December.

There have also been reports of incidences of army worms in some districts in the country (Zomba, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Dedza, Salima, Nkhotakota, Blantyre, Phalombe, Mulanje, Chiradzulu, Balaka and Machinga). In total 2,481 hectares are reported to have been destroyed of which 547 were totally wiped out. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MoAFS) is distributing seeds and fertilisers to the farm families that were affected to enable them to replant.

There are also concerns of potential red locust infestation in the coming months in areas around Lake Chilwa. Red Locust swarms are reported to have been noticed in Lake Chilwa plains during the last week of December 2013 which if not urgently controlled, are likely to invade and cause damage to cultivated crops later in the season in Machinga, Zomba, Liwonde, Blantyre, Mulanje and Mangochi. The MoAFS is currently on alert but they will need support for surveillance as well as resources for aerial surveys and spraying.

Nutrition An analysis of Community Management of Acute malnutrition (CMAM) data for October to December 2013 compared to the same period in 2012 indicates that 13 out of 24 food insecure districts targeted with the current nutrition emergency response showed higher Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP)3 new admissions in 2013 compared to 2012 (Fig. 1 and 2). Districts that showed increased admissions are Blantyre, Chikwawa, Dedza, Karonga, Kasungu, Machinga, Mchinji, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Rumphi, Salima and Thyolo. Higher admissions are attributed to active-case finding by recently trained community volunteers and the shift to new cut-off points for admission from 11cm to 11.5 cm for Mid Upper Arm Circumference (new WHO growth standards) where more severely malnourished cases are identified. Scaling up of CMAM by opening of new sites also contributed to higher admissions.

OTP and NRU New Admissions in selected Food Insecure Districts in 2012/2013 (October to December)

Fig.1: Food Insecure Districts OTP New Admissions by District October to December 2012/2013 500 400 300 200 100

0 NumberofChildren Districts

2012 New Admissions 2013 New Admissions

3 Treats severely acute malnourished children with appetite and without medical complications, with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and systematic medications

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 2

Fig.2: Food Insecure Districts NRU New Admissions by District October to December 2012/2013 200 150 100 50 0

Numberof Children Districts

2012 New Admissions 2013 New Admissions

Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit (NRU)4 admissions were lower in most districts in 2013 (October to December) except for Chikwawa, Machinga, Mulanje, where higher admissions were recorded (Fig.2). High NRU admissions are mainly as a result of late presentation to the CMAM program leading to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with complications. Reduced NRU admissions in 21 out 24 districts may be an indication that OTP program is performing well (cure rate >75%, death rate <10% and defaulter rate (<15%)5 and that SAM cases are identified and treated in a timely manner before complications that necessitate admission into NRUs occur.

Epidemics Malawi registered no cases of cholera throughout in the 2012/13 cholera season (November 2012- October 2013). Likewise, no confirmed case has so far been registered in the current season which started on 1st November 2013. Although reasons for the good news are not clearly known measures are being undertaken to prevent cholera and other diarrhoea diseases. The Ministry of Health in January 2013 convened a meeting to plan for supervision mission to some of the cholera prone districts to assess their levels of cholera preparedness.

UNICEF and partners programming

NUTRITIONSituation Overview: Out of the &24 Humanitarian food insecure districts, Needs sixteen districts namely; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa,

Chiradzulu, Dedza, Thyolo, Zomba, Mangochi, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Salima and Machinga, benefitted from the intensified humanitarian nutrition response programme in 2013; interventions included training in the revised protocol/guidelines, provision of buffer stocks for RUTF, F-75, F100 and ReSoMAL as well as anthropometric equipment to improve quality of the management of acute malnutrition. The remaining 8 districts were supported through routine CMAM program.

The 2013/14 Nutrition Response Plan targets food insecure districts with the following activities; nutrition assessments, partner coordination, nutrition screening, community mobilization and advocacy, management of severe and moderate acute malnutrition, supplies chain management, Vitamin A supplementation and deworming, protection of infant feeding and nutrition messaging.

From October to December 2013 all the districts had received adequate RUTF for treatment of severe acute malnutrition in OTP and supplies for in-patient management of Severe Acute Malnutrition with

4 Provides inpatient care to severely acute malnourished children with complications until the patients are stabilised and suitable for OTP

5 Performance of the therapeutic feeding programme for management of SAM for the period of October to December 2013 ; cure rate 88.8%, death rate 2.9% and defaulter rate 4.9% (Refer to Table 1)

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 3

complications at NRUs. Capacity building to improve management of acute malnutrition at community and facility levels was also undertaken. CHILD PROTECTION: Consultations have been carried out with District Social Welfare Offices in 21 out of the 24 food insecure districts on strengthening provision of psychosocial support to those affected with food insecurity through Community Based Organisations, Community Based Child Care Centres, Children’s Corners and Community Victim Support Units. Districts plans of actions that include orientation of psychosocial support caregivers, identification of those in need of psychosocial support and provision of services to victims of violence and food insecurity have been received and consolidated by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. Implementation of the planned activities will commence in February 2014.

WASH: UNICEF undertook an assessment of emergency preparedness levels in seven cholera and flood prone districts (Nsanje, Chikwawa, Zomba, Phalombe, Mangochi, Machinga and Salima) late 2013. Among other findings, the assessment found that although water chlorination in high risk areas was being practiced in most of the districts, the preparedness measure was being limited by low availability of chlorine/water guard.

As part of the efforts to prevent outbreaks of cholera and other diarrhea diseases during the current rainy season, UNICEF in December 2013 provided 15,858 bottles of water guard expected to be distributed to 77,925 people (15,585 households) in 12 cholera prone districts (Chikwawa, Blantyre, Zomba, Machinga, Phalombe, Thyolo, Mwanza, Neno, Balaka, Salima, Mangochi, Karonga) to cover their needs for a period of one month.

Interagency collaboration and Partnerships

In an effort to strengthen inter-cluster coordination in the response to emergencies, the Humanitarian CountrySituation Team Overview at its September & Humanitarian 2013 meeting Needs decided to establish and inter-cluster group which brings together the various clusters to share information and identify areas of collaboration between the clusters. The inter-cluster group is scheduled to meet in the first week of February 2014 mainly to discuss the progress of the implementation of the 2013/14 food insecurity response.

Funding situation:

ThSituatione next SitRep Overview will be issued& Humanitarian within the first Needs week of March covering the month of February.

For further information, please contact

Mahimbo Mdoe Esther Guluma Estere Tsoka Representative Deputy Representative Emergency Specialist Country Office Country Office Country Office Malawi Malawi Malawi Telephone: 265 999 964 130 Telephone: 265 992 961 100 Telephone: 265 999 964 205 Facsimile: 265 1 773 162 Facsimile: 265 1 773 162 Facsimile: 265 1 773 162 E-mail:[email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 4

Table 1: UNICEF and partners’ programming

UNICEF Sector / Cluster Cumulat % of % of ive Target Cumulati Target Target results Achieve Target ve results Achieve Estimated #/% coverage 2014 2014 (#) d 2014 20146 2014 (#) d 2014 Nutrition 7 CCC4:Children and women with acute malnutrition access appropriate management services % of exits from therapeutic feeding programme of children 6 - 59 months who have died <10% 2.9% N/A <10% 2.9% N/A % of exits from therapeutic feeding programme of children 6 - 59 months who have defaulted <15% 4.9% N/A <15% 4.9% N/A % of exits from therapeutic feeding programme of children 6 - 59 months who have recovered >75% 88.8% N/A >75% 88.8% N/A # and/or % children 6-59 months with SAM enrolled in OTP and NRU programmes 19,819 5519 28% 19,819 28% 28% 452 452 OTPs # of NRUs and OTPs in affected districts stocked with OTPs 86 NRUs RUTF, F100 and F75 adequate for the next month 86 NRUs Child protection CCC 5: Violence, exploitation and abuse of women and children prevented and addressed and family based care promoted # of sexual assault and physical cases handled by One-Stop Centres 1,000 NA # of violence against women and children cases reported to VSUs and CVSUs 24,000 NA CCC6: Psychosocial support is provided to children and care givers # and % of children receiving psychosocial support through community based child care centres and children’s corners 400,000 NA WASH CCC4: children and women receive critical WASH related information to prevent child illnesses especially diarrhea Number of people reached with hygiene promotion messages 6,000,000 NA CCC 2: children and women access sufficient water of appropriate quality and quantity for drinking, cooking and maintaining personal hygiene Number of water points rehabilitated in affected communities 728 NA

Number of water points repaired in affected communities 2169 NA Number of water guard bottles distributed to enable point of use water treatment 10 340,000 15,585 4.6% 600,000 Education CCC2: children access quality education opportunities Affected school children benefit from school supplies (school in a box kits and recreation kits) 10,000 36,750 Health CCC3: Access to essential health services Proportion of districts affected by cholera outbreak and received cholera treatment supplies from UNICEF within 24 hours after requesting 95% NA CCC 5: Women and children have access to essential household items

6 Cluster targets are from cluster response plans for clusters/sectors that were activated for food insecurity response and interagency contingency plan for those that did not develop response plans 7 The nutrition cumulative results are for the period of October to December 2013 8 18,000 affected people with renewed access(250 people per water point) 9 54,000 affected people with renewed access(250 people per water point) 10 One water guard bottle is adequate for 1 household (5 people) for one month

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 5

UNICEF Sector / Cluster Cumulat % of % of ive Target Cumulati Target Target results Achieve Target ve results Achieve Estimated #/% coverage 2014 2014 (#) d 2014 20146 2014 (#) d 2014

# of affected people benefiting from survival kits 3,000 5,000 *1 bottle of water guard is adequate for 1 household (5people) for one month **1 drum of chlorine is adequate for 200 households (1000) people for one month

UNICEF Malawi Monthly SitRep # 1, January 2014 Page 6