FAO/WFP Informal Briefing focuses on Hunger Hotspots Report and food security situation in the Horn of Africa and Sahel
On 8 June, FAO and WFP organised a joint briefing on the FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots Report. The briefing also included a brief update on the food security situation in the Horn of Africa and Sahel. CILSS and IGAD completed the presentation given by the two Agencies.
FAO and WFP stressed that the risk of people falling into famine in 2022 has increased from 43 million to 49 million in 46 countries. FAO and WFP gave a quick update on the food insecurity situation in South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Haiti and presented the ongoing response by both Agencies and the food security outlook for the June to September period. FAO and WFP called for partners to invest in strategic development solutions that help build resilient communities and foster climate actions, social protection, and sustainable food systems.
The report shows that 17.8 million people face high acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) due to the current drought in Southern Ethiopia (7.2 million), Kenya (3.5 million) and Somalia (7.1 million). Most concerning yet are the 213,000 people in Somalia who are in IPC Phase 5: Catastrophe.
The 2022 March-May rainy season will be the driest in 70 years for the region. Drought is disproportionally affecting rural livelihoods – multiple seasons of failed harvests driving below average stocks and increased market dependency. Additionally, more than 7 million livestock have died, driving 1 million people to displacement in Somalia and Southern Ethiopia. Forage availability is in fact lower than during the severe droughts of 2011 and 2017, that particularly affected Somalia.
FAO otherwise highlighted that the Sahel region was experiencing the worst crisis in a decade, with numbers of food insecure people steadily increasing due to conflict and insecurity. FAO and WFP highlighted the extreme access constraints for delivery of humanitarian assistance due to armed conflict in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria and noted the funding challenges. In West Africa and the Sahel Region. Funding of the regional response HRP is below 20 percent.
Related Links: