The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Cash Assistance Project

Lesotho is currently experiencing an unprecedented El Niño induced drought, with an almost 62 per cent decline in crop production during the last agricultural season. With 510,258 people estimated to be crisis or emergency status between Jul-Oct 2016, and 679,437 people projected to be in need of assistance up to March 2017, the following intelligence is highlighted in the report:

• According to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee (LVAC) around half of the rural population are at risk of livelihood and food insecurity between May 2016 and April 2017.
  
   
• The latest Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment has identified an estimated affected total of 679,437 people (113,240 HH) are at risk in absence of all other safety nets except school feeding and cash for-work (fato-fato). Of the above 476,842 people (~ 79,474 HH) require life-saving and livelihood protection interventions in next 9-12 months and 202,595 people (~33,765 HH) require only emergency livelihood support in the same time period.
  
   
• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimates 510,258 to be in a state of food security crisis or above from July to October, covering all ten districts of Lesotho.
  
   
• The preliminary forecast indicates a 55-60 per cent likelihood that Lesotho will experience a La Niña phenomenon resulting in normal and above normal rainfall.

Read the full report here.