Abundant rains after dry spell benefit crops and bode well for average harvests

Above-average rainfall in January, particularly in the east, may allow for average harvests after all. With increasing job opportunities in the farming and non-farming sectors, incomes continue to improve, which supports Minimal (IPC Phase 1) outcomes through May 2018. However, in parts of Bugesera, Kayonza, and Kirehe districts, which were particularly affected by erratic rainfall, the production of beans and maize is likely to be below average, resulting in many poor households in Stressed (IPC Phase 2).

According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), food and beverage prices dropped by nearly five percent in December compared to November 2017. The prices of non-cereal commodities, such as beans, Irish and sweet potatoes, decreased by 9.2 and 13.5 percent on a monthly and annual basis, respectively, despite the dry spell in December. Food prices reduced the most in rural areas where the majority of the poor live, facilitating better food access. 

In January, WFP was forced to cut refugee food rations to 75 percent of the daily requirements, except for the most vulnerable. As a result, the Government of Rwanda is allowing refugees to seek daily labor outside of the camps, and partners are planning to integrate refugees into national safety net programs. In the absence of humanitarian assistance and Government interventions, refugees living in camps would be facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3). According to UNHCR, 589 new Burundian asylum seekers arrived in December.