Southern Africa

Special Report

Illustrating the extent and severity of the 2015-16 drought

March 18, 2016
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IPC 2.0 Acute Food Insecurity Phase

1: Minimal
2: Stressed
3: Crisis
4: Emergency
5: Famine
Would likely be at least one phase worse without current or programmed humanitarian assistance
FEWS NET classification is IPC-compatible. IPC-compatible analysis follows key IPC protocols but does not necessarily reflect the consensus of national food security partners.

IPC 2.0 Acute Food Insecurity Phase

1: Minimal
2: Stressed
3+: Crisis or higher
Would likely be at least one phase worse without
current or programmed humanitarian assistance
FEWS NET classification is IPC-compatible. IPC-compatible analysis follows key IPC protocols but does not necessarily reflect the consensus of national food security partners.
FEWS NET Remote Monitoring countries use a colored outline to represent the highest IPC classification in areas of concern.

IPC 2.0 Acute Food Insecurity Phase

Presence countries:
1: Minimal
2: Stressed
3: Crisis
4: Emergency
5: Famine
National Parks/Reserves
Remote monitoring
countries:
1: Minimal
2: Stressed
3+: Crisis or higher
Would likely be at least one phase worse without
current or programmed humanitarian assistance
FEWS NET classification is IPC-compatible. IPC-compatible analysis follows key IPC protocols but does not necessarily reflect the consensus of national food security partners.
FEWS NET Remote Monitoring countries use a colored outline to represent the highest IPC classification in areas of concern.

A severe drought, related to El Niño, is ongoing across the Southern Africa region. This drought has limited crop production and exacerbated the current lean season. While April/May harvests will provide some temporary relief, food insecurity during the 2016/17 consumption year is expected to be severe. This report presents a series of maps which illustrate the extent and the severity of the drought as well as its impacts on water availability, crop and rangeland conditions, food prices, and food security. For a more detailed narrative and analysis of the drought’s current and expected impacts on food security, please visit www.fews.net/south.

 

October 2015 – February 2016 rainfall anomaly (% of the 1982-2011 average) for Southern Africa
Map 1

October 2015 – February 2016 rainfall anomaly (% of the 1982-2011 average) for Southern Africa

Source: 
FEWS NET/USGS

This map illustrates how rainfall between October 2015 and February 2016 deviated from the 1982-2011 average across the Southern Africa Region. During this period, rainfall was less than 75 percent of average across most of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, and South Africa as well as significant portions of Zambia, Malawi, Angola, and Madagascar. The major agricultural season for Southern Africa runs from October/November through April and this abnormal dryness has occurred in many important cropping areas.

Please click the Download button at the top to view the full report with aditional maps.

Region Contact Information

Email: fews.southern@fews.net

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About FEWS NET

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network is a leading provider of early warning and analysis on food insecurity. Created by USAID in 1985 to help decision-makers plan for humanitarian crises, FEWS NET provides evidence-based analysis on some 34 countries. Implementing team members include NASA, NOAA, USDA, and USGS, along with Chemonics International Inc. and Kimetrica. Read more about our work.