East Africa Regional Food Security & Nutrition Update (November 2021)

Highlights :

About 58.6 million people are facing severe acute food insecurity in East Africa. This includes IPC figures from rural population (31.4 million people), urban population (15.7 million), and IDPs and refugees (11.5 million). The situation continues to deteriorate, an additional 1.4 million could face acute hunger in the next 6 months.

Food insecurity in Tigray and the conflict affected areas in Northern Ethiopia is critical, with residents and IDPs in urban areas worse off than the those in rural areas.

In Tigray, child malnutrition (proxy GAM) in September 2021 worsened to 22.7% from 17.1% in February while was as high as 70.4% from 51.2% over the same period for PLW. Three woredas had child malnutrition above 30% while in excess of 20% in 5 woredas. The situation is set to worsen going into the lean season despite some upcoming harvests

The eastern Horn of Africa is facing severe drought conditions affecting mainly eastern, north-eastern & coastal Kenya, southern Somalia and southeast Ethiopia, resulting in additional 1 million people since August 2021. according FAOSWALIM, more than 80% of Somalia is experiencing severe drought conditions.

The current drought has already triggered a food price crisis in parts of Southern Somalia beyond the levels witnessed during 2008 global economic crisis, the 2016/17 drought and the 2011 famine. High food inflation expected in Southern Somalia through the next GU harvests.

A third successive year of massive flooding in South Sudan has led to massive displacements, limited movements, disrupted livelihoods, harvests and delivery of assistance. Over 300,000 people in Sudan and 760,000 people South Sudan have been affected.

Source: World Food Programme