U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Southern Africa

Tel: +27 11 880 4633
Fax: +27 11 880 1421
e-mail: irin-sa@irin.org.za


SOUTHERN AFRICA
IRIN-SA Weekly Round-Up 285
27 May - 2 June 2006


CONTENTS:

MALAWI: More than half the people still living in poverty - new report
ZIMBABWE: Food shortages becoming critical, warns parliamentary body
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zimbabwe's ripple effect
COMOROS: Glowing Karthala puts authorities on alert
ANGOLA - ZAMBIA: Angolan repatriation hampered by lack of funds, fear
   of cholera


MALAWI: More than half the people still living in poverty - new report

Poverty continues to be widespread in Malawi and there has been little
or no progress in reducing poverty and inequality since 1998, said the
draft Poverty and Vulnerability Assessment (PVA), jointly compiled by
the Malawi government and the World Bank. More than half the country's
population continues to live on around 32 US cents a day and just over a
fifth of Malawians survive on just 20 US cents a day. The survey found
that 6.4 million people, more than half Malawi's population [52
percent], were still living below the poverty line, while 2.7 million,
or about one-fifth [22 percent], were experiencing ultra-poverty - such
dire poverty that they cannot afford to meet even the daily recommended
food requirements.

See Report:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53688


ZIMBABWE: Food shortages becoming critical, warns parliamentary body

A recent government fact-finding mission told parliament this week that
drought relief food was taking too long to reach the intended
beneficiaries, and in many instances there was not enough. Presenting
the results of an inquiry by the Public Service, Labour and Social
Welfare parliamentary portfolio committee into the drought relief
distribution programme to the House of Assembly, committee chairperson
and ZANU-PF Member of Parliament, Mabel Mawere, said distribution delay
had left some people on the brink of starvation. Lack of fuel to
transport the food aid has compounded the problem. An aid worker warned
that the food security situation could "become very critical" in
Matabeleland South and Masvingo, which "are traditionally food-insecure
areas", because "we understand food is going to run out in the next four
months".

Besides insufficent food, Zimbabweans now also have to contend with cash
shortages. Banks have started rationing money, allowing clients to
withdraw only Zim$5 million (about US$49).

See reports:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53651
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53593
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53690

SOUTHERN AFRICA: Zimbabwe's ripple effect

IRIN started a series on the impact of the Zimbabwean implosion on the
region. It kicked off with Zambia, where Zimbabweans have made business
commitments worth more than US$73 million since 2002, creating almost
10,000 jobs. But unlike Zambia, Mozambique's romance with migrant
Zimbabweans, mostly white farmers brought in to boost the country's
agriculture sector, appears to have faded in the past two years. South
Africa, on the other hand, has attracted Zimbabwean labour, skilled and
unskilled, but always needing to make a living.

See reports:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53632
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53653


COMOROS: Glowing Karthala puts authorities on alert

On Grande Comoro, largest of the three islands in Indian Ocean
archipelago, volcanic activity continued on Mount Karthala. Initial
fears of a full-blown eruption and lava flow have calmed, but
authorities remain on the alert. Specialists from the Karthala Volcano
Observatory and scientists from the University of La Reunion, a French
possession in the Indian Ocean, went on a reconnaissance flight over the
crater on Monday morning. Based on their observations, authorities have
activated the national emergency response preparedness plan.

See Report
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53602


ANGOLA-ZAMBIA: Angolan repatriation hampered by lack of funds, fear of
cholera

The ongoing repatriation of more than 12,000 Angolan refugees from
Zambia is under a double threat: lack of donor funding and a cholera
outbreak ravaging their home country. A US$5 million shortfall could
affect resumption of the repatriation programme. The issue of funding
was paramount, according to the International Organisation for Migration
and the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR. However, the Zambian government said
it was waiting for feedback from local and Angolan health authorities on
cholera before resuming the repatriation exercise. The World Health
Organisation noted that Angola has reported 40,842 cumulative cases and
1,527 deaths in 13 out of 18 provinces since the declaration of a
cholera outbreak in February.

See Report
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53634


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