Lesotho is a lower middle-income country that is food-deficit and land-locked. A large proportion of poor rural households do not have access to agricultural land and many of those who own land do not have the necessary agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and high-yield seeds.
Maize is the staple diet. A significant proportion of the population is undermined by hunger and poverty. Chronic malnutrition remains one of the most serious, long-term problems facing Lesotho. According to the most recent Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Annual Joint Review, 15% of deaths among children below 12 years are related to malnutrition.
The main causes of poverty and food insecurity include: a high incidence of HIV among adults; chronic malnutrition among children; erratic weather patterns; and the limited use of agricultural inputs. Other challenges are the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children and the very high maternal mortality rate of 972/100,000 live births.
The actual cumulative rainfall received in December 2010 and January 2011 were the highest recorded since 1933. The estimated damage is extensive - US$ 66.1 million, equivalent to 3.2% of the GDP. A government-led rapid assessment revealed significant losses in livestock and field crops caused by the rains, as well as infrastructural damage, especially to roads, bridges and culverts which in turn resulted in constrained access to health services.
A Post-Disaster Needs Assessment conducted in March/April 2011 by the World Bank, UNDP and the government warned that Lesotho would be faced with a food security crisis starting the second half of 2011 as a result of damage and losses suffered by the agricultural sector.
In June 2011, the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee conducted its annual assessment of the situation in the country. It predicted that, due to reduced crop production and an increase of food and agricultural input prices, 514,000 poor and very poor people (102,600 households) would be food-insecure and require humanitarian assistance during the 2011/2012 consumption year.
WFP is in process of formulating an EMOP to respond to the increased food assistance needs of the most vulnerable sections of the population. The proposed intervention will use carefully targeted food distributions and Food for Work activities to enhance people's coping mechanisms and prevent any deterioration of an already volatile situation. Some 40,000 beneficiaries are expected to receive assistance during a six-month period.
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