regional level it contributes to food security, trade and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For many, livestock represents wealth and its loss represents a sudden fall into poverty and deprivation. The production and supply of seeds, fertilizers and other inputs have also been adversely affected by two consecutive poor harvests, which is likely to contribute to longer term recovery problems for affected communities as their next cropping season will now not be readily assured. % CHANGE (100=SEPTEMEBER 2015) 140 Trends in Member State currencies against US$ 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 Sept 2015 Oct 2015 Nov 2015 Dec 2015 Jan 2016 Feb 2016 Mar 2016 Apr 2016 Zambia Mozambique South Africa Congo Dem Rep Angola Madagascar Malawi Tanzania Source: xe.com Food prices continue to be well above average, meaning that even where food is available, it is not necessarily accessible (approximately half of the SADC population lives on less than US$1 a day). The scale of the required imports necessitates additional regional logistical coordination, which will be undertaken by the SADC El Niño Logistics and Coordination Team recently established in Gaborone. outbreaks. With the use of unprotected water, diarrheal diseases increase, and in children such illnesses can contribute significantly to malnutrition: approximately 25 per cent of stunting globally can be attributed to 5 or more episodes of diarrhoea before the age of 2. Cholera also remains a perennial concern, with a number of Member States currently experiencing outbreaks, while the yellow fever outbreak in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo should be considered one of the most serious epidemic outbreaks globally, threatening the region and beyond. There are concerns that El Niño conditions might increase the transmission rate of HIV in endemic areas that are affected by the drought, and also lead to further decreases in service utilization and adherence to anti-retroviral-therapy (ART) and tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Lack of food could promote non-adherence to treatment regimes. Similarly, the closure of health facilities due to lack of water supply as a result of the drought will affect ART access and may reverse the gains made in the prevention of mother to child transmissions (PMTCT). The region is experiencing a depressed economic outlook due to fall in commodity prices, a main source of revenue and depreciating local currencies. This is likely to have an impact on governments’ ability to respond to humanitarian needs and in particular the expansion of social safety nets may be impeded. Low dam levels also threaten supply of hydro-electric energy and safe drinking water, which could also impact economic development in addition to aggravating humanitarian needs such as the provision of primary healthcare. The drought has also depleted water sources and reservoirs, forcing communities to use unprotected water sources, which are often shared with livestock. The time needed and distance travelled to collect water also increases, meaning children may lose out on education while women and girls face increased protection concerns. Parents may also be less willing to send their children to school unbathed, or schools may not have access to water, significantly disrupting learning activities. Similarly, institutions, health facilities cannot function without a guaranteed supply of clean water, at a time when there may be increased drought-related disease Livestock conditions deteriorated significantly in Lesotho Source: Lesotho, National Early Warning Unit 7