ETHIOPIA: While the start of the green harvest in crop producing areas has modestly improved food security, southern and southeastern Ethiopia remain highly to extremely food insecure following successive below‐average rains, water shortages, crop failure, high food prices, and security‐related restrictions in Somali region. Critical levels of acute malnutrition continue to be reported in these areas, while shortfalls in humanitarian aid are limiting emergency response during the July‐September hunger season.

HAITI: Four major storms in August and September destroyed as much as 30 percent of winter season crops in some areas, as well as homes and infrastructure. The subsequent reduction in food availability will exacerbate existing food access problems related to high prices, particularly in urban and coastal areas, and in chronically food insecure parts of the Northwest Department. Humanitarian aid is needed immediately, as is long‐term assistance to rebuild infrastructure, restore farmland, promote foreign investment, and increase agricultural productivity.

KENYA: About 1.38 million rural people (including IDPs) are highly food insecure and, without assistance, will be unable to meet their minimum food requirements at least through March 2009. Moderate food insecurity exists across the rest of the country, except in the southwest. An unfavorable forecast for the October‐December rains over northern and eastern pastoral areas suggests that food security is likely to deteriorate by early 2009. Primarily due to high prices, at least 2.5 million urban poor are highly food insecure.

SOMALIA: Protracted and escalating civil insecurity, hyperinflation,and consecutive below‐normal rainy seasons have caused extreme and deteriorating food insecurity, particularly in central and southern areas. Intensifying conflict has led to record levels of displacement, significant market and trade disruptions, competition for pasture and increasing limitations on humanitarian access.

WEST AFRICA: The end of the hunger season has been marked by a gradual improvement in food availability, as excess stocks are released and some early‐harvested crops arrive on markets. Although localized flooding has damaged some crops and infrastructure,overall rains have improved crop conditions, water availability, and pasture, and bode well for average to above‐average harvests.In most countries, food and non‐food prices remain high;but conditions should improve in the coming weeks as harvests progress.

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