Food Security Statement, January 2022

January 2022
34
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  • Parts of the region are experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, largely driven by consecutive seasons of below-average rains. Southern and south-eastern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and most of Somalia are the worst affected, with certain areas recording some of the driest conditions since 1981. FSNWG’s in-depth analysis of the drought situation can be found here.
  • Beyond May, the food security situation will depend on the performance of the 2022 March-May rainfall season. However, regardless of whether the next season’s rainfall performance is good or poor, high levels of food insecurity are expected to continue in drought-affected areas through at least September 2022.
  • According to the IPC Global Support Unit (IPC-GSU) for East and Central Africa, an estimated 56 million people in 10 of the 13 countries covered by the FSNWG were highly food insecure (IPC Phase 3+) and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in January 2022. Of these, about 27 million were from seven of the eight IGAD member states.
  • The nutrition situation in the region remains concerning as malnutrition rates are increasing, particularly in Ethiopia, the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
  • Despite growing humanitarian needs and the multiple shocks affecting the region, the humanitarian response remains underfunded. Further advocacy for resources to respond to life-threatening levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as protect livelihoods, is needed.
Tags: Food Security , Nutrition