Mozambique humanitarian situation update: 16th May 2006Major Developments Food Security: Household food security has improved in southern and central Mozambique as harvests and targeted food aid distribution continue to make food more available. To date food aid programmes have been covering 75% of the food insecure population. This year’s harvest is expected to be better than last year’s, despite localized irregularities in rainfall in some areas. While the dry spell in February affected crops that were in cobbing and grain filing stages, reducing maize and sorghum crops, some of which did not recover, good rainfall for the second season may compensate for the potential reduction on the yield during the first agricultural season. Rains in March and April will help the survival of new planting, and will confer adequate moisture for the second planting season in May/June 2006. In addition, a substantial increase in the number of seed fairs improved the availability of seeds both for the first and second season, leading to increased production and yield. In the northern region, massive premature harvest may have a negative impact on the final harvest. A vulnerability assessment is planned for May by the Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) to provide a clear picture on the situation of the northern regions, especially Nampula province. The Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC): Between 28 and 30 March, the multi-sectoral Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) held its Annual Retreat at Barragem dos Pequenos Libombos in Boane. The aims of the meeting, which benefited from the participation of representatives of the provincial SETSANs, were to review the achievements of the VAC since its establishment in 1997, including an assessment of constraints encountered; to review the 2006 VAC work plan; and to revise the data collection methodology and instruments to be used for the 2006 comprehensive baseline survey. It has been agreed that the rapid assessment planned by the VAC in May will be conducted using mainly secondary data from the provincial SETSANs, in order to allow increased focus on the planning of the national multi-sectoral food security and nutrition household survey to be conducted in July/August. This comprehensive survey is intended to serve as a baseline for key household food security and nutrition indicators and will cover areas including: predictive factors for food insecurity and malnutrition; the links between HIV/AIDS, poverty and food security; and analysis of the structural causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. The results of the household survey are expected by the end of 2006. Flood monitoring: Although the levels of the Zambezi River dropped around mid March along its entire length, from the Zimbabwean border to the Indian Ocean, the trend was reversed during the second week of April. The river rose from 4.99 meters to 5.42 meters. Similarly in Marromeu, where the iver rose from 4.57 meters to 4.88 metres (flood alert level is 4.75 metres). Further upstream, the Cahora Bassa dam nearly reached its full capacity. The amount of water entering the lake rose from 2,182 to 3,410 cubic meters a second during the second week of April. Most of this water remained in the lake; the dam management was only releasing 1,878 cubic meters a second. More than 2,000 people have been resettled to higher grounds in Caia district (Sofala) due to the rise of the Zambezi River. Most of the people were evacuated from the river islands of Nhane and Rezende, which were inundated in January and again in March. The Zambezi inundated more than 700 hectares of planted fields on the two islands. In Marromeu, all 11 islands situated in the river, and the plains of Goora and Gombegombe, in the administrative post of Chupanga, were flooded, destroying about 1,000 hectares of maize, beans, and sweet potatoes. People living in flood prone areas have been evacuated to the old accommodation centres in Nensa, Chupanga, and Malingapansi. Cholera situation: The latest figures from the Ministry of Health recorded a total of 4,651 cumulative cases and 22 deaths up to the 20 April 2006. Sofala remains the province worst hit by cholera with 2,923 cases and 10 deaths recorded. Other provinces with cholera outbreak are Zambezia (650 cases), Nampula (996 cases) and Manica (82 cases). Avian Influenza: The UN Country Team (UNCT) and UNICEF’s Emergency Co-ordination and Management Team (ECMT) finalized their plans on the Avian Influenza (AI) Pandemic. The first draft of the Government Contingency Plan on the Avian Influenza (AI) Pandemic has also been finalized by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval. The national AI/HI task force, including Government, UN, NGOs and media, is meeting regularly. As part of AI preparedness, UNICEF’s Programme Communication, Health and Emergency teams adapted a model on Avian Influenza to the Mozambique context and pamphlets were printed and shared with UNICEF staff for their safety. The pamphlet presents the different phases of avian influenza and what staff should do, messages on prevention, protection and emergency contacts. The pamphlet has been adopted by the rest of UN team. Given that UNICEF has important responsibilities in the area of communications when it comes to program response for human influenza pandemic, emergency contingency planning has been given a full session at ESARO Communication Network Group meeting held in Johannesburg from 24 to 28 April. UNICEF Mozambique Emergency and Communication teams participated in the meeting to present the office’s AI contingency plans, AI communication strategy and steps taken by the office and UN team to ensure emergency response. While the primary focus of the meeting was program response, participants addressed the Business Continuity component of their plans as well. It was agreed that each country office is required to: a) develop the contingency plan by May 30th and test the plan by June 15th and to b) implement the plan. Assessments: The Ministry of Agriculture is undertaking a crop production pre-estimate to evaluate the current food security situation, especially in the northern areas of the country. The report will be released at the National Agriculture meeting to be held in Namaacha, from 15 to 18 May. UNICEF Response: Health and Nutrition: The different activities of the integrated nutrition and health programme (INHP) led by the Ministry of Health with support from UNICEF, WFP and local NGOs are still ongoing in 18 drought-affected districts in the provinces of Tete, Manica, Sofala, Gaza and Maputo. Up to the middle of April, 16,500 children were screened, 1,600 were identified to be moderately malnourished and requiring supplementary feeding, 8,500 received deworming tablets and 6,400 received Vitamin A supplements. WFP and UNICEF reviewed the programme and operational problems encountered in some areas so as to best improve implementation and ensure that the areas of greatest need are being covered (e.g. may need more support in northern provinces) and also continue to provide longer term capacity building support to MISAU. UNICEF facilitated a training workshop on treatment of severe malnutrition for 38 health workers in Cabo Delgado province, which is currently affected by food insecurity and showed some of the highest malnutrition rates in the last nutrition survey. Support was also provided for the cholera response in Nampula province in terms of training of 90 health workers on cholera case management. Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion: Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion: Access to safe water and sanitation in drought/cholera affected areas was increased through ongoing support of UNICEF to the rehabilitation of 132 and construction of 16 water points (of which 77 completed) providing access to safe water for around 135,000 people in Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Sofala, Zambézia and Tete provinces. Among the constraints faced during implementation were the shortage of the hand pumps provided by the suppliers and difficulties accessing a few of the rural areas. Under the cholera response, WSHP emergency supplies (chlorine) have been procured and provided to Government counterparts for water treatment in the cholera affected areas of Soafala, Zambezia, Manica and Nampula provinces. Rehabilitation of 6 water points and hygiene promotion are ongoing in affected areas of Buzi and Marromeu. In Beira, where 2 to 3 cases are recorded per day, 4,500 metres of the main drainage channel have been mechanically cleaned. Programme Communication: A social mobilisation and communication campaign for Cholera prevention is supported by UNICEF and national partners in cholera affected areas. The campaign includes radio broadcasts, mobile unit activities and community theatre plays. Further, UNICEF and UNDP continue to support INGC through providing technical assistance to develop a communication strategy.
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