In the north, the impact of the poor harvest can be partly compensated by recession or irrigated crop production. External assistance is required for off- season production activities and the mobilization of cereals in surplus areas of the south and transfer to northern deficit areas. The food supply situation is generally satisfactory in urban areas despite a price rise for imported rice in early January 1998. In rural areas, prices of rice remain generally stable but those of coarse grains are increasing in the areas which gathered a poor rainfed crop in 1997, notably in the north and the centre-north. Recession crops are developing satisfactorily in the Senegal River valley.
Insecurity still prevails in various parts of the country, especially in the east and south-east.
As a result, humanitarian activities remain extremely limited and are mainly cross border operations. However, many areas have been adversely affected by population displacements. An Inter-Agency assessment mission to Sierra Leone is scheduled for the first half of February, and will assess the impact of economic sanctions on the civilian population.