Hazards/Threats

East Africa Food security deteriorated rapidly for those at highest risk following total failure of the belg rains (February to April) in 1999 and again this year in the northern Ethiopian Highlands. Several years of failing rains have contributed to worsening drought conditions and forced farming families to sell their livestock and other assets. (OCHA) (USAID)

Afghanistan, Pakistan and India Southern Afghanistan and southwestern Pakistan are experiencing a drought emergency. In southern Afghanistan, insufficient rainfall in 1998/1999 has continued through April. Relief agencies expect that rural and urban areas will suffer from a serious lack of drinking water, increased outbreaks of disease, heavy loss of livestock, and crop failure in the part of the country which is usually the most fertile. Story: (DRO); Situation reports: (ReliefWeb)

Hungary and Romania Due to a rapid snow melt in Romania and Ukraine and heavy rainfalls in northern Hungary and western Romania, the following rivers have risen significantly above normal levels: the Tamis River in FR Yugoslavia, the Tisza and Bodrog Rivers and their tributaries in Hungary, and the Kris, Mures, Somes and Timis Rivers in Romania. (IFRC)(OCHA)

Health

Australia A national health alert was issued in Australia after 8 people, including 2 babies, were diagnosed with the potentially fatal Australian Encephalitis. Above average rainfall and flooding in the affected areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory resulted in huge numbers of mosquitoes that transmit the viral disease. (ProMED)

Somalia A cholera outbreak, spread by contaminated water, has resulted in over 2000 cases and 230 deaths in Somalia since January 1, 2000. The outbreak has been compounded by drought that has dried up fresh water sources. (WHO)

Agriculture

Northwestern Africa Northern Morocco continued to receive stabilizing rains, while light showers over the remainder of the region provided little relief from long-term drought. 

East Africa Rains failed across Kenya during the main wet season in March and April, damaging food and export crops. Drought left millions of people in northern Kenya and across the Horn of Africa dependent on food aid and the UN has warned of famine risk. 

Southern Africa Dry, seasonably mild weather benefited filling to maturing summer crops. 

Australia In the Southeast mostly dry weather supported summer crop harvesting. 

United States Mostly dry weather favored fieldwork in the corn belt, while widespread showers aided summer crops in the southeast. 

Fisheries

April catch for small pelagics in Peru were approximately 850,000 metric tons. Total cumulative catch for 2000 is approximately 3,232,000 metric tons, compared with 2,203,000 for the same period in 1999. Fishing along most of the coast ended in mid April due to a seasonal fishing ban which is expected to last through early May. Informal discussions between the fishing industry and the government indicate that a May - July quota of approximately 2.5 million metric tons may likely be set.
 

Material for this portion of the IRI Climate Information Digest has been extracted from the UN/OCHA Reliefweb, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED), the USDA/NOAA Joint Agricultural Weather Facility and the Fishmeal Exporters Organization. Additional information was obtained from the NOAA/OGP Climate Information Program and Red Cross/CNN/IBM Disaster Relief.