LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: The recent start of the rainy season, notwithstanding, Cuba and Haiti have been seriously affected by a prolonged dry period and production of main staple food crops is expected to decline. In Central America, food assistance continues to be provided to vulnerable communities in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua mainly due to past disasters. In Brazil, the maize crop has been affected by drought, especially in the main producing southern states. In Ecuador, heavy rains at the end of April affected the 2005 winter paddy crop that was about to be harvested.