ANGOLA (19 May)
The 2003/04 agricultural season is drawing to a close with harvesting currently under way. A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission is currently in the country to carry out an assessment of the outcome of the season. Given the generally erratic precipitation in the country, the prospects for maize and millet harvest are unfavourable. Cassava is reportedly performing better in rainfall-stressed parts of the country. Nearly 2 million farmers received emergency agricultural inputs assistance at the start of the season. Heavy rains during February to April caused flooding in riverbeds affecting field crops in south-eastern and central parts of the country. Flooding also caused serious damage to maize and bean crops in Huambo province and may necessitate emergency food assistance to some 290 000 people who suffered heavy losses.
With the improvement in security situation, large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees have returned to their areas of origin. Although the vulnerability analysis being conducted by WFP and partners is yet to be concluded, initial indications suggest that there will be a reduction of around 50 percent in the number of people in need of food assistance from an earlier estimate of 500 000. Those in need are expected to be concentrated in central provinces and those border provinces that will receive large numbers of refugees returning to Angola.