- Approximately 59 million people in 10 of the 13 countries covered by the FSNWG were highly food insecure (IPC2 Phase 3+) and in need of urgent assistance in September 2021. Of these, about 29 million were from seven of the eight IGAD member states.
- An additional 83 million people were Stressed (IPC Phase 2); 35 million of them from the IGAD region. These people needed livelihood support to avoid sliding to worse phases of food insecurity.
- The nutrition situation in the region remained of concern as Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) admissions increased, driven mainly by Ethiopia and South Sudan.
- The humanitarian situation in northern Ethiopia remained grave as available data and information pointed to critical levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition. Challenging and unpredictable humanitarian access is exacerbating the situation.
- There is an increased probability of below-average rains during the upcoming October-December 2021 rainy season, risking an increase in the severity of food insecurity across the region should a poor season occur. Of particular concern are south-eastern Ethiopia, eastern Kenya, and southern Somalia, which have already experienced two consecutive seasons of poor rainfall.
- Despite growing needs, the humanitarian response in the region remains underfunded, pointing to the need for collective advocacy to increase awareness of the crises in the region and resource mobilisation to respond to the various needs.
Tags:
food security
,
nutrition
