Sahel Report No. 1, 2005

182175

EN

Book

The rainy season has started normally in the Sahel. Seasonal rains commenced in late April or May in southern Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and the extreme south-east of Senegal. Seasonably dry conditions prevail in the rest of Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Mauritania and most of Guinea Bissau. Land preparation and planting are in progress following the onset of the rains. Seed availability problems are likely in Burkina Faso, Cape-Verde, Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Senegal, where crop production was severely affected by adverse weather and pests last year. Desert locusts remain a potential threat in the subregion. In May, immature locusts were reportedly moving eastwards from Niger, which is already infected, to Chad through northern Cameroon and probably northern Nigeria. Although FAO is not expecting a large scale invasion this year, intensive survey operations should be immediately launched in Mali, Niger and Chad and continue in Mauritania. The food situation has been worsening in drought- and desert locust-affected regions of the Sahel, in spite of steps taken by the region’s governments. In Burkina-Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, millet prices continue to climb, while livestock prices have been falling. This reduces access to main food staples by vulnerable households, notably pastoral and agro-pastoral groups, which were hit especially hard by last year’s combination of drought and desert locusts. Severe malnutrition is reported to be on the increase in Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Several UN agencies have appealed for funds to assist affected populations, including FAO, UNICEF and WFP, but pledges are reportedly still short of requirements. More funds and food aid are urgently needed to respond to the worsening situation.

2005

6

http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/j5629e/j5629e00.htm

J5629

ES

EST

Sahel Weather and Crop Situation

1

Gambia

Africa

ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/j5629e/j5629e00.pdf