Highlights
On 31 January 2017, UNICEF launched the Southern Africa El Niño/La Niña Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal. The HAC requirement for Swaziland is US$2.74 million in 2017, which is currently 32 per cent funded.
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) activated the national multi-hazard contingency plan for Swaziland on 14 February 2017, as a result of the potential risks posed by Cyclone Dineo. Although the cyclone was downgraded to a storm, 14 schools were affected, of which four had damaged infrastructure.
The NDMA is currently coordinating a number of processes to review the 2016 national drought response. A mid-term review of the response is planned for March 2017. A comprehensive multi-sectoral assessment is ongoing and will be completed by end of March 2017.
In January 2017, the Swaziland Meteorological Services (MET) reported positive rainfall patterns for the last quarter of 2016 in most areas of the country. Critically, the MET reported that some areas received below normal rainfall, negatively impacting anticipated harvests and raising concerns for 2017. Rainfall patterns are being closely monitored between January and March 2017 to inform humanitarian planning for 2017.