Joint FAO-WFP briefing on Food Security Situation

On 6 May, FAO and WFP organised a joint briefing on the findings of the 2022 Global Report of Food Crises, as well as the priorities for consideration.

2021 saw a serious surge in the number of people afflicted by acute food insecurity. 193 million people in 2021 in 53 countries/territories were acutely food insecure (IPC Phase 3 and above) due to a triple combination of conflict, weather extremes and economic shocks. Around 570 000 people in Ethiopia, South Sudan, southern Madagascar and Yemen were classified in the most severe phase of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) and required urgent action to avert widespread collapse of livelihoods, starvation and death. Almost 40 million people faced Emergency or worse (IPC/CH Phase 4 or above) conditions across 36 countries.

Conflict remains the number one driver of acute food insecurity. Almost 140 million people live in countries affected by conflict and insecurity. Between 2018 and 2021, the population facing acute food insecurity due to conflict increased by a staggering 88 percent.

The top 10 countries/territories with the highest number of people in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3) in 2021 are DRC, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nigeria, Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Pakistan, and Haiti. Nearly 70 percent of the global population in acute food insecurity lives in these 10 countries.

The outlook going forward is not good. Between 179 and 181 million people are expected to be acutely food insecure in 2022 (IPC Phase 3 and above) in the 42 countries where projections were available at the time when the Global Report was finalised.

Noteworthy, these figures do not take into consideration the unfolding war in Ukraine, as the repercussions of the war on global food, energy and fertilizer prices and supplies were factored into most country-level projection analyses. For this reason, the number of acutely food insecure people in 2022 might be far higher than projected. The mid-year update will be crucial in understanding the deterioration of food insecurity due to the Ukraine war. 

Against this grim background, some of the priorities for consideration that were presented include: i) the transformation of agrifood systems; ii) improving food assistance; iii) promoting strategic dialogue; iv) strengthening coordinated approaches, and v) providing timely analyses and understanding.