Next round of vulnerability assessments to start soon, RIACSO

The next round of rolling vulnerability assessments in Southern Africa would start soon, the UN Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Support Office (RIACSO) said in its latest bi-monthly report. Aid agencies had estimated that some 15 million people would require emergency food aid in order to survive up to March 2003. However, it has become clear that assistance will be needed through to June and agencies have planned accordingly. However, the impact of HIV/AIDS, adverse weather conditions and economic decline in some of the worst affected countries indicate that the crisis is far from over. The latest European Commission statement indicated a growing awareness that 2003 could be worse than 2002. RIACSO said the next rounds of rolling vulnerability assessments, which would clarify the need in the six southern African countries affected, would be done under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and would begin in April. "A planning meeting was held in Pretoria between 3 and 9 March involving all national VACs [Vulnerability Assessment Committees]. The final two days of the meeting also provided an opportunity for external organisations to contribute to the process," RIACSO added. It noted that SADC welcomed a multi-sectoral approach in the next assessments, but indicated that assistance for this would be needed during the entire process of planning, assessment and analysis to ensure success. Meanwhile, the regional humanitarian response was 64 percent funded as at 11 March. The total regional appeal was for US $652 million and was funded at US $417 million.