According to a report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet), funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), published in late February, the availability of food in early 2011 was the best for five years. In addition to the government's recently announced food-subsidy programme, Opération solidarité, food availability has improved in neighbouring countries and the local production of coarse grains was "excellent", according to Fewsnet. Despite rapidly rising international food prices, improved production has led to a fall in prices for sorghum in key markets, particularly in southern Mauritania, compared with early 2010. Fewsnet expects no acute food insecurity in most of the country in the first quarter of 2011, although food insecurity is expected to be moderate in the areas surrounding the capital, Nouakchott, and in the second-biggest city, Nouadhibou. Fewsnet does not expect this picture to change in the second quarter, except for a pocket of moderate insecurity emerging in the area of the Senegal River valley south of Aleg. The positive news will probably be used by the regime as it tries to demonstrate its effectiveness at improving living standards.

Download the numbers in Excel

Agricultural results have not been positive across the board. An outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in late 2010 in the central-northern area around Atar, Aoujeft, and Chinguetti has led to sharp reductions in many pastoralists' herds. Fewsnet estimates that up to 20% of the livestock was killed in the infected areas and that the rate of livestock miscarriage has increased significantly. Although this has dealt a severe below to the livelihoods of herders, it has been mitigated to some extent by the extra income derived from agricultural labour, demand for which has increased. According to data from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) published in the Fewsnet report, the RVF outbreak did not lead to an increase in malnutrition in the affected areas. Nationally, estimates of malnutrition dropped or remained steady between July 2010 and January 2011 in all areas except Nouadhibou, where a slight rise may be attributable to the seasonal ban on fishing in August-October, which reduces household incomes for the duration.

Download the numbers in Excel