ALERT STATUS: NNNOOO AAALLLEEERRRTTT Food Security Update WATCH WARNING December 2006 EMERGENCY

CONTENTS Summary and Implications Summaries and calendar...... 1 A month into the lean season, households are generally food secure. Staple food prices Current Hazard Summary...... 1 are still well below average and stable, and seasonal fruits and vegetables are available. Food security summary ...... 1 However, the preliminary results of the Vulnerability Assessment Group of the Technical Agricultural Season...... 2 Secretariat for Food Security baseline study indicate that there are persistent pockets of Rainfall performance...... 3 chronic food insecurity. Households suffered low number of shocks this year and did not Market and prices……………..4 resort to extreme response strategies. Rainfall has been below average in southern and central Mozambique since their planting season began in October. Nevertheless, planting continues where rains have allowed, and there is a strong demand for seed and other inputs. In the north, the rains have not yet begun, and land preparation continues.

Seasonal Calendar

Current Hazard Summary

• Much of southern and central Mozambique has received below-normal rainfall. • El Niño conditions are likely to continue, at least into early 2007.

Food Security Summary

Generally, the food security situation conditions are favorable; retail maize prices are low and seasonal fruits and seasonal fruits and vegetables are available. The Vulnerability Assessment Group of the Technical Secretariat for Food Security, with support of several agencies (USAID, Australia AID, FAO, UNICEF, WFP and Save the Children UK) carried out a food security and nutrition baseline study in order to better understand the predictable factors of food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as livelihoods (in order to improve the targeting of both development and emergency assistance).

The preliminary results from the baseline study (the full report will be released at end of the December) confirm that this was indeed a year of limited shocks, and households suffering from these shocks are not expected to face transitory food insecure. In general, the most common response strategy has been a mild change in diet, and no extreme coping mechanisms were necessary.

At the same time, chronic food insecurity is increasingly common in the north of the country, including Niassa, Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambézia and Tete, while the southern part of the country, particularly Gaza, is the most food secure. Although the south is more prone to natural disasters, households there have better access to resources and to diverse but stable sources of income.

The prevalence of wasting in children (6-59 months) is of 4.5 percent overall, with severe wasting at 1.6 percent, which is still considered acceptable. Among the same age group, the prevalence of stunting is very high: 46.2 percent overall, with severe stunting at 24 percent. Low malnutrition rates combined with high stunting rates is unusually indicative of chronic food insecurity (as opposed to acute food insecurity), warranting integrated and long-term interventions.

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MOZAMBIQUE : Food Security Update December 2006

Agricultural season update and progress

The Ministry of Agriculture through the National Directorate of Agrarian Services (MINAG/DNSA) has released its October and November agricultural season update. According to the report, the land preparation and planting for the 2006/07 main agriculture season is ongoing in much part of the country. Land preparation began early in August in the south and extended into the central and northern region in September, October and November. Durin