US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO1463

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001463 
 
SIPDIS 
AID/W FOR BHR/OFDA - MMARX; AFR/SA - DMENDELSON; 
AFR/AA - LPIERSON 
NAIROBI FOR REDSO/ESA/RFFPO; BHR/OFDA - GGOTTLIEB 
MAPUTO FOR OFDA/DAR 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR RMA, DHA, IFRC 
PARIS FOR WILLIAMS 
LONDON FOR PFLAUMER, RUETER 
PRETORIA FOR POL - RAGSDALE, MCNAMARA 
NSC FOR AFRICA DIRECTORATE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, MASS, PREL, SENV, MA 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF MOZAMBIQUE (GRM) MEETING ON 
THE DROUGHT SITUATION. 
 
1. AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE COORDINATING COUNCIL 
FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 27, 
2005. THE MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY PRIME MINISTER 
(PM) LUISA DIOGO AND INCLUDED THE MINISTER OF 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ALCINDA ANTONIO DE ABREU AND THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR DISASTER 
RESPONSE (INGC), SILVANO LANGA. REPRESENTING THE 
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT (USG) WERE AMBASSADOR HELEN 
LA LIME, USAID MISSION DIRECTOR JAY KNOTT, USAID'S 
FOOD FOR PEACE OFFICER SUZANNE POLAND AND USAID'S 
FOOD SECURITY AND DISASTER RESPONSE ADVISOR LEONOR 
DOMINGOS. 
2. ALTHOUGH FIELD DATA AFTER MAY 2005 WAS NOT READY 
FOR DISSEMINATION, THE PM DIOGO REFERED TO A 
SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION OF THE FOOD SECURITY 
SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IN THE DROUGHT AFFECTED 
DISTRICTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE. THE 
PM SAID THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ATTRIBUTE DEATHS TO 
HUNGER GIVEN THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE DROUGHT 
AFFECTED AREAS ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY POVERTY AND 
DISEASES SUCH AS MALARIA OR HIV/AIDS. 
3. PM DIOGO REFERED TO ABOUT 600,000 AFFECTED PEOPLE 
AND INDICATED THAT THE GRM HAS COMMITTED 
APPROXIMATELY THREE MILLION US DOLLARS FOR MEDIUM 
AND LONG TERM DROUGHT MITIGATION ACTIVITIES. SHE 
ADDED THAT THE GRM REQUIRED HELP FOR HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE. THIS WAS THE SAME MESSAGE DELIVERED TO 
THE AMBASSADOR BY THE GOVERNOR OF INHAMBANE DURING 
HER OCTOBER 24-26 TRIP TO THAT SEVERELY DROUGHT 
AFFECTED PROVINCE. 
4. THE DIRECTOR OF INGC PRESENTED THE GRM'S 
CONTINGENCY PLAN, FOLLOWED BY THE UNITED NATIONS 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM'S (UNDP) PRESENTATION OF THE 
UNITED NATION'S (UN) DROUGHT RESPONSE. OVERALL THE 
SUMMARY WAS THAT THE CONTINGENCY PLAN INCLUDING THE 
WFP FOOD AID IS ONLY PARTIALLY FUNDED. THE GAP IS 
ABOUT US DOLLARS 15,000,000 THROUGH MARCH 2006. THE 
FOOD GAP FOR THE PERIOD IS ESTIMATED AT 16,207 
METRIC TONS. 
5. PM DIOGO EMPHASIZED THAT THE GRM ENCOURAGES WHERE 
POSSIBLE LOCAL PURCHASES OF FOOD AND COMMENDED THE 
EFFORTS OF WFP TO PURCHASE FOOD ON LOCAL MARKETS. 
THIS YEAR 30% OF THE CEREALS WERE LOCAL PURCHASES. 
(COMMENT: USAID'S CONTRIBUTION TO WFP REPRESENTS 
ABOUT 45% OF THE FOOD AVAILABLE TO WFP FOR 
DISTRIBUTION). 
6. THE FAO REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT THE 
CURRENT SITUATION IS NOT A SLOW ONSET DROUGHT BUT 
RATHER THE RESULT OF A SEMI ARID CROPPING 
ENVIRONMENT THAT CHARACTERIZES THE AFFECTED AREAS. 
HE REFERED TO A MAP OF 1954 THAT SHOWS VERY SIMILAR 
CLIMATE CONDITIONS AS TO THOSE PREVAILING IN RECENT 
YEARS. FARMERS' AND GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO ADAPT 
TO THESE CONDITIONS LIES AT THE HEART OF THE CURRENT 
EMERGENCY SITUATION. 
7. THE MISSION AGREES WITH THIS POSITION AND 
ENCOURAGES THE GRM TO INCORPORATE THIS REALITY INTO 
ITS FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING 
IN SUCH A WAY AS TO COVER A GREATER SHARE OF THE 
NEEDS THAN THE CURRENT 30%. IN ADDITION TO 
BOLSTERED GRM PLANNING CAPACITY, THE MISSION ALSO 
SUPPORTS THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE'S EFFORTS TO 
INTRODUCE MORE APPROPRIATE CROPPING SYSTEMS IN 
AFFECTED AREAS. 
8. MISSION WILL FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY AND 
DISCUSS THE USG RESPONSE AFTER THE IMMINENT RELEASE 
OF THE INTERMINISTERIAL VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT 
GROUP'S OCTOBER REPORT. 
LA LIME