Good rains during the latter half of October, which were particularly abundant in major growing areas, encouraged land preparation and early sowing of the 2002/03 secondary “deyr” season crops. Flash floods were recently reported in parts but resulted in limited crop damage.
The recently harvested main “gu” season cereal crop in southern Somalia is estimated at about 209 000 tonnes (80 000 tonnes of sorghum and 129 000 tonnes of maize). Despite the good gu crop that is expected to improve overall food supply situation in parts of southern Somalia, serious food supply difficulties remain in parts due to successive years of drought and insecurity.
Elsewhere, in north-western Somalia (Somaliland) despite some recent rainfall the food situation is severe in Sool, Sanag and Nugal regions where the last poor “gu” season rains have affected crops and livestock production. The continued ban on livestock imports from eastern Africa by countries along the Arabian Peninsula has reduced foreign exchange earnings and affected the livelihoods of a large number of pastoralists. However, emerging export opportunities in chilled meat to some countries in the Middle East has helped to partly offset the negative impact on pastoralists and created job opportunities to the urban poor.