In Numbers
WFP assisted 372,432 beneficiaries with in-kind food assistance and 178,750 beneficiaries through cash transfers in the 9 droughtaffected southern Madagascar districts.
WFP is currently reaching 687,000 people in IPC 3+ under its emergency response in Southern Madagascar. 370,000 people in IPC 4 and 5 are now receiving full rations while people in IPC 3 continue to receive half rations.
As the lean season moves towards its peak, WFP intends to gradually reach 1,016,000 people in IPC 3, 4 and 5 with full rations based on its revised needs-based plan for the December 2021-April 2022 period.
Key Highlights
Recent empirical observations as well as latest trends available point to a concerning deterioration of the food insecurity and malnutrition situation in Southern Madagascar:
• The food security and nutrition situation of the people seems to be already severely stressed at a time when the lean season is just beginning;
• Overall food prices are increasing. Besides, the availability and quality of drinking water are decreasing while its price is spiking;
• Despite limited quantities of seeds available in some of the markets in and around Ambovombe and Ampanihy, people in the villages do not have seeds as stocks as they have been exhausted or consumed;
• Latest Post Distribution Monitoring conducted by WFP shows the positive, albeit limited, impact of WFP assistance and confirms the need to (i) increase assistance to current beneficiaries and to (ii) extend the assistance coverage given the concerning negative trends for non-beneficiaries;
• Although the levels for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) new admissions have decreased after the peak observed in April 2021, the SAM and MAM trends are higher in comparison to same time last year. The data stemming from the active screening conducted by community agents in September shows that the number of children in MAM is already close to the new admissions in April 2021.
WFP new Country Director, Pasqualina Disirio, recently arrived in Madagascar and received her credentials from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Source: World Food Programme