Food Security Update
ANGOLA FOOD SECURITY UPDATE
October 16 – November 15, 2003
Moxico: local authorities in Lumbala Kaquengue (alto Zambezi Municipality) have reported deaths due to lack of Highlights food in some areas of the province. A Rapid Food Needs Assessment Mission has been fielded to assess the overall Delays in the international shipment of food aid will result food security situation in the area. Food insecurity is also in a serious shortfall of cereals during December. Food aid reported to be critical in Ninda, Chiume and Mussuma rations are likely to be halved until stocks are re- communes in Lumbala N’Guimbo municipality. established.
Despite a poor food aid pipeline and persistently low levels of food production, localised pockets of extreme food WARNING insecurity are diminishing. However, with the exception of Some action is required as food security situation the drought affected areas in the lower southern part of deteriorates Cunene and Kuando Kubango, in most of areas of the country, people face moderate to high food insecurity. Kuanza Norte: Floods following heavy rains has resulted in Therefore, current humanitarian efforts need to continue the displacement of a significant number of households in the preventing more families from facing emergency Golungo Alto areas. A multi-sectoral humanitarian mission conditions. will be assessing the situation soon. The outlook for the 2003-03 agricultural season is positive Lunda Sul: Hunger related deaths have also been reported following timely distribution of seeds in large areas of the among newly returned populations in Samlondo and country, as well as favourable climatic conditions. Manoquimbondo. While this is yet to be confirmed, a rapid Food Needs Assessment Mission is on the ground assessing The performance of the rainy season has been good so far. the magnitude of the problem. With a few exceptions, the timing of the onset of rains was normal in all major agricultural areas. Rains were slightly Huambo: On November 10, the provincial Rapid Food Needs late in the Coastal and in the lower southern areas of the Assessment group conducted an assessment in Catabola country, but field observations during the month of commune. Preliminary results indicate serious nutritional November indicate a good recovery pattern in all areas. and food security problems because of a poor harvest from the previous season and increasing food prices. In addition,
lowland cereal production harvested in August and Provincial Briefs September only met about a month of food needs. The situation in this commune is unlikely to improve in the near The following sections provide brief indications of the food future because of an acute shortage of seeds and tools. security conditions in different provinces of the country. The provinces have been classified in three categories that are based on the food security status and urgency of attention WATCH . required by decision makers. Provinces requiring immediate Close Monitoring Required and urgent attention because of extreme food insecurity therein have been rated as emergencies. Areas with Zaire and Moxico: The rate of voluntary repatriation of conditions of high food insecurity have been classified as Angolan refugees from neighbouring countries increased warnings, and those areas facing moderate food insecurity from 39,397 in the third week of October to about 42,000 in have been classified as watches. the first week of November, with about half of these returning refugees coming from the Democratic Republic of EMERGENCY Congo (DRC). Returnees from Zambia accounted for about 42 percent of the total in November. Entry points in Luau Immediate Action Required Municipality in Moxico province and M’banza Congo in Cunene: Some 10,000 drought affected residents in Shiede, Zaire province reported the largest influxes during this Namacunde municipality need immediate food assistance. period. UNHCR’s most optimistic scenario suggests that Additional food aid is needed in the lower southern refugees from the DRC will continue to return at the same municipalities in Kuando Kubango province during the lean rate though December. On the other hand, heavy rains are period (November 2003-February 2004). expected on the Eastern border with Zambia and poor road condition will hamper repatriation efforts. Benguela: The nutritional situation Fig.1. Timing of seeds distribution relative to planning calendars in Balombo Municipality is showing significant improvements with no new admission of severely CabindaCabinda Timing of Distribution malnourished children to Ahe ad of Se ason therapeutic feeding centres for the On time M'banzaM'banza CongoCongo NoquiNoqui CuimbaCuimba Afte r Planting Pe riod last two months. However, current SoyoSoyoSoyo CuimbaCuimba MaquelaMaquela dodo ZomboZombo No I nforma tion ZaireZaire BuengasBuengas positive trends may not hold ZaireZaire DambaDamba
BembeBembe during the hungry season. BembeBembe SongoSongoSongo UigeUige NzetoNzeto Therefore, continual monitoring of NzetoNzeto UigeUiUige ge ChitatoChitato AmbuilaAmbuilaAmbuila UigeUige AmbuilaAmbuilaAmbuila UigeUige PuriPuri MassangoMassango the nutritional situation will be CambuloCambulo LuandaLuanda CuiloCuilo CambuloCambulo LuandaLuanda MarimbaMarimba CamabatelaCamabatela MarimbaMarimba LucapaLucapa required in the period between CaungulaCaungula CaxitoCaxito QuiculungoQuiculungo CaxitoCaxito DembosDembos QuiculungoQuiculungo CuangoCuango BangaBanga CahomboCahombo December and February. BangaBanga CalandulaCalandula Lunda Norte Pango-AluquemPango-Aluquem CalandulaCalandula LundaLunda NorteNorte LuandaLuanda Pango-AluquemPango-Aluquem LucalaLucalaLucala CateteCatete LucalaLucalaLucala MalanjeMalanje LubaloLubaloLubalo N'dalatandoN'dalatando CacusoCacuso Xa-MutebaXa-MutebaXa-Muteba SaurimoSaurimo QuissamaQuissama Capenda-CamulembaCapenda-Camulemba Development of the CangandalaCangandala LundaLunda SulSul LiboloLiboloLibolo MucondaMuconda 2003-04 Agricultural MussendeMussende MalanjeMalanje CacoloCacolo LuquemboLuquemboLuquembo CacoloCacolo PortoPortoPorto AmboimAmboim QuibalaQuibala LuquemboLuquemboLuquembo DalaDala LuauLuauLuau Season SumbeSumbe KuanzaKuanza SulSul LuauLuauLuau AnduloAndulo QuirimaQuirima Waku-KungoWaku-Kungo NhareaNharea SumbeSumbeSumbe Waku-KungoWaku-Kungo CamanongueCamanongue SelesSelesSeles MungoMungo KameiaKameia LuacanoLuacanoLuacano Improved Seed Distribution CassongueCassongue LuenaLuena BailundoBailundoBailundo CatabolaCatabola CuembaCuemba LuenaLuena CunhingaCunhinga LobitoLobitoLobito CunhingaCunhingaKuitoKuito AltoAltoAlto ZambezeZambeze BocoioBocoioBocoio KuitoKuito LuenaLuenaLuena BalomboBalombo in Much of the Country BenguelaBenguela BalomboBalombo EkunhaEkunhaEkunha ChinguarChinguar CamacupaCamacupa HuamboHuamboHuamboHuambo CamacupaCamacupa HuamboUkumaUkumaHuamboHuamboHuambo KuitoKuito BenguelaBenguelaBenguela TchindjenjeTchindjenjeTchindjenje TchindjenjeTchindjenjeTchindjenje HuamboHuambo LongonjoLongonjoLongonjo MoxicoMoxico CubalCubal BieBie MoxicoMoxico CaimbamboCaimbamboCubalCubal Successfully targeted seed and tool BenguelaBenguela CaimbamboCaimbambo Tchikala-TcholohangaTchikala-TcholohangaTchikala-Tcholohanga GandaGanda CaalaCaala CacondaCaconda ChitemboChitembo distribution will enhance the ChongoroiChongoroi ChipindoChipindo LuchazesLuchazesLuchazes CaluquembeCaluquembe impact of good rains, particularly QuilenguesQuilengues CaluquembeCaluquembe QuilenguesQuilengues MenongueMenongue HuilaHuila KuvangoKuvango Lumbala-NguimboLumbala-NguimboLumbala-Nguimbo in areas experiencing a large influx NamibeNamibe MenongueMenongue BibalaBibalaBibala QuipungoQuipungo QuipungoQuipungo JambaJambaJamba CuchiCuchi CuitoCuito CuanavaleCuanavale of resettled people. Figure 1 shows NamibeNamibe NamibeNamibe LubangoLubango areas where seeds have been NamibeNamibe MatalaMatala distributed on time for the planting CuvelaiCuvelai VireiVirei GambosGambos CuvelaiCuvelai KuandoKuando KubangoKubango season. The distributions reached MavingaMavinga CuneneCunene TombuaTombuaTombua CahamaCahama NankovaNankova about 70 percent of the areas by the CuanhamaCuanhama RivungoRivungo planting time, compared to about CurocaCuroca OndjivaOndjiva CuangarCuangar 60 percent in the previous year. By CalaiCalai DiricoDirico the second week of September, 0150300 almost all areas targeted for Kilometers distribution had received their seeds. Late deliveries have been Uige, and Kuanza Norte has been good. Compared to the reported in parts of the northern region where road access is long-term average, many of these areas received slightly severely limited. Although detailed information on the above-normal rainfall during the second and third dekad of statistics and the overall performance of the program is November. Although the rains in these areas came a month provided in the FAO Seeds and Tools Newsletter, FEWS NET latter than in Planalto, they have been of much greater recommends that the mid-season agricultural assessment intensity and consistently distributed through the planting should pay close attention to areas that had a late onset of period. Planting was slightly delayed in the North but crops rainfall and late distribution of seeds. are in good condition. WFP VAM field staff reported that maize, sorghum and bean crops in most of the Planalto areas
are in good condition. Agro-Climatic Conditions Remain Favorable In the Central Planalto areas, the first rains were reported in The 2003/04 rainy season has effectively started in all second dekad of September, but reliable intensity and agricultural areas. Reports indicate good crop emergence distribution for crop production were not established until throughout the northern, central and upper southern parts of late October. In November, local rainfall amounts of up to the country. This is, in part, a result of normal to near-normal 75 mm were observed over central and southern parts of Bie, onset of the rains in those areas. Huambo, and northern parts of Huila. In these areas, cereal crops are at early vegetative stage and crop cover is reported The performance of the rainy season has been highly to be good in most places. favourable in the cassava growing areas. The October and November distribution of rains in areas around Malange,
2 Fig. 2. Monthly average rainfall estimates (RFE) in mm October 2003 November 2003
The Coastal strip and the Lower southern areas experienced some delays in the start of the rains. Light to moderate Food Aid Pipeline rainfall was observed over the lower southern municipalities Concerns Remains over Cereal and Pulse Stocks of Kuando Kubago and Cunene provinces.
Cubal, Ganda and Balombo e Benguela provinces are WFP is expecting serious shortfalls in cereals nationwide showing rainfall levels slightly below-normal for this time of during November and December due to delayed and the year. Rains began late in October, delaying planting. damaged international maize shipments. Distributions under However, sorghum and millet crops in the Eastern part of the social and nutritional programs such as feeding centers Benguela and Northern Cunene and Kuando Kubango are for the sick and malnourished will continue to receive recovering well following good rains in the mid October. priority. Full rations will be maintained for November and Reports from these areas indicate that despite late planting, December and food will be distributed without delay. crops will do well if the current rainfall conditions continue However in the best case, for all other feeding programs, until about last week of December 2003. including those assisting internal and external returnees, Good vegetation cover has been observed in most areas of the WFP will have to reduced cereal and pulses rations for country receiving substantial amounts of rainfall, the November and December. These reduced rations will only be northern region in particular. Pockets of poor vegetative possible with timely arrival of the next international maize conditions were observed in some of livestock areas - and pulse shipments, and if local procurement and local southern parts of Cunene and Kuando Kubango, and commodity loans go ahead. southeast Huila. Despite dry conditions, there has been no In order not to jeopardize UNHCR’s repatriation programs in indication of livestock migration in search of better pastures. Uige, Zaire, Moxico and Kuando Kubango (Menongue) provinces, WFP will distribute to External Returnees (RETEs) 2003-04 Agricultural Season Outlook Appears half ration of cereals and full ration for the other commodities. Internal Returnees in these four provinces will Positive receive the same rations as the RETEs. The timing of the distribution of rations to these beneficiaries can be expected As stated above, this season looks positive so far. This is to be normal. clearly a result of improved distribution of seeds and tools to All other beneficiaries will receive a half ration of cereals and the returning population, good availability of land and a full ration of the other commodities. The November normal to above-normal rainfall conditions in much of the distribution will be carried out at the end of the month and in country. Consistent rainfall distribution and intensity will some cases these will be combined with the December have to continue until about the end of December to allow distribution and may not take place until early December. crops to survive the dry spell in January and February. Close monitoring of rainfall performance in December is critical to determine the outcome of the first season’s crop.
FEWS NET (a USAID funded project) and WFP jointly produce on a monthly basis the Angola Food Security Update in collaboration with partners, including The Consortium for Development Relief in Angola (CDRA) and the National Food Security Directorate (GSA). For more information, contact Paulo Filipe, FEWS NET Country Representative by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone (244) 2 443 926 or (244) 91 512 244. Please visit the FEWS NET Website: www.fews.net/Angola.
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