ABOUT 700 000 people will need food aid or they will starve, according to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Report which was released yesterday. Of these 400 000 are said to be individuals in rural areas while more than 290 000 are in urban areas. The report says the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Analysis projects that the number in rural areas will increase to 403 000 people from October this year to March next year.
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The government is yet to sit down to map how it will subsidise food following the release of the report, its spokesman said this week.
Thabo Sekonyela told thepost yesterday that the government will now sit down and discuss how it could implement a food subsidy to assist the vulnerable individuals following the report.
“The report has just been released and you can rest assured that the government will discuss it and come up with a suitable strategy,” Sekonyela said.
With the poverty rate at 49.7 percent, the report has recommended immediate humanitarian assistance for households in rural areas and those below the Minimum Expenditure Basket in urban areas.
It also recommended supporting local farmers through the buying of grains and beans and timely agricultural input subsidies with suitable crop varieties.
It recommends intensifying of the Integrated Catchment Management to improve rangelands and protect water sources, along with conducting vaccination campaigns to prevent seasonal livestock diseases.
“Additionally, operationalising the National Strategic Resilience framework to diversify livelihoods and build resilience against future shocks is essential,” the report reads.
“These measures aim to improve food and nutrition security and reduce vulnerability in Lesotho.”
The report observes that the unemployment rate stands at 22.5 percent, with an inflation rate of 7.4 percent as of April 2024.
The other significant vulnerable conditions in the country include high HIV prevalence which stands at 25.6 percent and maternal mortality at 618 per 10 000 births, it reads.
It says food and nutrition insecurity is driven by climate-related shocks, such as storms, heavy rains, high temperatures, dry spells and drought, which have damaged crops and infrastructure in other areas in the country.
“Pests and livestock diseases have further exacerbated the food and nutrition insecurity in the country.”
As a result of El Nino induced dry spells in 2023/24 rainy season the area planted recorded a decrease of 32 percent in the 2023/24 season compared to 2022/23 agricultural season, leading to the lowest yield since 2018/19, the report says.
It says socioeconomic shocks, including job losses, reduced opportunities in on-farm and casual labour, price hikes, and high inflation, have significantly reduced household incomes and further weakened their already fragile purchasing power.
It shows that the national crop production of maize decreased by 52 percent in 2024 which could only last up to three months for most households.
The cost of living has risen, it says, with the Minimum Expenditure Basket increasing to M3 387 per month for four people this year.
“The Food Consumption Score indicates poor consumption for 19 percent of households, with higher rates among HIV-positive households,” it says.
“Chronic illnesses and migration also contribute to food insecurity.”
It shows that livestock disease outbreaks were recorded from January to March this year due to increased temperatures and poor rainfall performance.
It says the area planted showed decreasing trends for all main cereal crops like maize, sorghum, and wheat.
Consequently, national crop production estimates for maize show a decrease of more than 50 percent compared to the previous year, it reads.
“This has led to an increase in food prices, which will be the main limiting factor towards household food access, as the majority of households will need to purchase their staple and other food items.”
The report says the area planted for maize in 2023/24 decreased by 32 percent from 159 206 to 106 825 hectares compared to the total area planted in 2022/23 and 2021/22 respectively.
“The decrease in area planted was due to drought shock and inadequate agricultural inputs especially fertilizers to most farming households.”
The analysis revealed that most households in Lesotho were significantly affected by several key shocks such as rising food prices in the markets, poor crop yields, loss of employment or reduced salaries and natural hazards such as floods and droughts.
Among these, the increase in food prices emerged as the most severe shock following the drought shock, making it difficult for households to afford both food and non-food essentials, the report reads.
The report says 49 percent of households adjusted their behaviour due to food shortages.
A larger proportion of rural households had to reduce meal frequency, purchase cheaper brands, or decrease portion sizes in order to meet their households’ food requirements, it reads.
Staff Reporter
