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Rainfall since late March and April has improved water and pasture availability in the major Belg/Gu/Genna-benefiting areas in the eastern half of the country. However, rains started very late in these areas, with almost no rain in February and early March. The overall performance of Belg harvests in the cropping areas is highly likely to be much below normal to near total failure, causing food security concerns throughout the May to September scenario period. Below-normal to a complete failure of the Belg harvests are expected in the Belg-growing zones of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR). These include the major sweet potato growing zones of Wolayita, Kembata, Gamu Gofa, and parts of Hadiya along with the dominantly Belg-growing, southern special woredas. Staple cereal prices have been relatively stable since March, following unusual upward movements in the first two months of the year. However, increases are observed in some areas in SNNPR such as Konso and Wolayita as well as in parts of Borena zone of Oromia. Additional increases in prices are expected beginning in May, affecting food access among poor households in both rural and urban areas. The rainfall in April and May has replenished water points both for livestock and human consumption in woredas where the rains performed better. Up to 100 percent recharges are reported in most parts of the southern zones of Somali region. Improved water availability was also reported in Borena and Guji zones of Oromia and South Omo of southern SNNP regions, which could sustain livestock through June and July depending on the rains received in the respective woredas. Floods along the Wabi Shebelle River have been reported in the flood-prone areas of Mustahil and Kelfao woredas of Gode zone due to heavy rains in some localities and in the eastern Oromia highlands. Livestock body conditions are better across the lowlands of Borena, Bale, and Guji zones, where livestock migrated during the dry season are now returning to their wet-season grazing areas. However, in Dagahabour and Fik zones, and parts of Sewena and Legeida woredas of Bale zone, there are exceptions with some herds still having poor body conditions. Livestock to cereals terms of trade (ToT) have had a slight improvement in favor of livestock sellers in some areas, partly due to the ongoing relief and Productive Safety Nets Program (PSNP) food distributions. Poor and very poor households in these areas of focus are expected to remain in Crisis (IPC phase 3) through September 2012, with needs for nutrition support remaining especially high. The July to September dry season is expected to progress, with pastoral resources depleting fast in woredas where the current rains are performing poorly, affecting the livestock body conditions and in turn the ToT due to the possible decline in prices for less healthy animals. Poor households are not capable of maintaining their livestock in a healthy market-presentable manner, unlike the better off households who are in a better position to fetch better or even above average prices from buyers of export livestock during seasonal periods of livestock stress.