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New round of assessments on drought
vulnerability starts
UNICEF
The Mozambique National Vulnerability Assessment Committee (VAC) with the
support of UNICEF has started a new round of multi-sectoral assessments in
drought affected areas this week. The survey
aims to measure the multi-faceted impact of the drought and the level of
vulnerability of households in the 27 most vulnerable districts in the six
affected provinces. An additional VAC assessment, supported by WFP,
FEWS.net and Save the Children UK, is looking at the food and crop
situation. These assessments form part of an ongoing monitoring of the
situation in the Southern African region organised by the SADC Regional
Vulnerability Assessment Committee (RVAC).
From January 2002 onwards, Mozambique has been suffering from below-average
rainfall in the southern and central parts of the country, which resulted in
pockets of very poor harvests. The heavy floods of 2000 and 2001 had already
destroyed large quantities of crop, damaged infrastructure and lead to
displacement. Thus, several areas have experienced the cumulative effect of
three consecutive crop losses. Unlike the last severe drought in 1992, the
current water and food shortage is taking place in the context of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic. Children whose parents are HIV-infected or already have died of AIDS
are particularly exposed to the consequences of the drought.
Last August, a first multi-sectoral assessment in 10 of the worst drought
affected districts by the Provincial Directorates of Health, Public Works
and Social Action had shown a high degree of vulnerability of children in
these regions. The assessment found moderate and high levels of
malnutrition in some districts, with many families having food reserves for
less than a month. High incidence of diarrhoeal diseases was also reported.
Malnutrition rates in children with diarrhoea were significantly higher
than in the group of children without diarrhoea. Measles vaccine coverage
was found to be protective in only one district.
According to the National VAC, 587,000 people are in need of assistance.
Half of those affected by the drought are children.
The second round of assessment is now being done by the Provincial
Directorates of the National Disaster Management Institute, of Health,
Public Works, Statistics, and Social Welfare. Over 65 staff members of
these Directorates coming from the six affected provinces were trained on
how to do the assessment last week in Maputo. UNICEF provided financial and
technical support to the Mozambique National Vulnerability Assessment
Committee (VAC) who organised the course.
The questionnaire is structured to identify households that are
particularly vulnerable for example those that are child headed or have
terminally ill members.
Questions on the immunisation, nutritional status and recent illnesses
suffered by children under 5 years are included in the questionnaire to
give an indication of the health status in affected districts. Infant
caring practices such as breastfeeding are also examined.
In addition, households are questioned about access to safe water sources
and changes in terms of distance and time spent to collect water. An important
part of the assessment is to find out how many households are
headed by children who are orphans or by old people. Identifying children
who have to work to support sick adult relatives is another element of this
questionnaire. The questionnaire also looks into school enrolment and
causes for non-enrolment and dropout.
The VAC selected districts for the assessment by considering both the
prevalence of HIV and food aid needs. The districts that were selected met
two criteria: they have an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate higher than 10% and at the
same time more than 15% of the population needs food assistance.
The collection of data is scheduled to continue until the end of November.
The results will be included in the regional VAC report that is due to be
published by the end of December - UNICEF
More information:
Website www.unicef.org/mozambique
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