Central Asia

Central Asia
Food Security Outlook Update
August 2023
Due to low water availability, second-season crops face stress conditions
  • Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes persist in Samangan and Badghis provinces due to the adverse impacts of three years of recurrent drought. In the rest of the country, the harvest and some access to labor opportunities are closing food consumption deficits, supporting Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes. Amid high unemployment and continued lower-than-normal income, food consumption deficits are expected to increase in October as household food stocks are depleted, notably in northern drought-affected areas as well as in the highlands. As a result, Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected to emerge across widespread areas of the country. In areas where Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are expected to continue, households are likely to close consumption deficits through casual labor opportunities and income earned from the sale of harvested crops. 
  • Second-season crops, mainly rice and maize in northern, northeastern, and eastern parts of the country, are in generally stressed condition due to water shortages resulting from lower groundwater availability and early snowmelt coupled with high temperatures. Given below-average water availability at main water basins of the relevant regions, second-season production is expected to be below average. 
  • In July, WFP reached 4.4 million people with food aid and nearly 1.3 million people with cash-based transfers. After a suspension of aid since January food assistance distributions resumed in Ghor in July following the implementation of safeguards and monitoring mechanisms. Due to funding constraints, assistance distributions have declined in recent months. Since August 2020, assistance distributions in Afghanistan have been historically high, deviating from past typical trends whereby assistance would decline during the harvesting months then increase with the lean season. This year, food aid distributions during the harvesting period declined seasonally as observed in historical trends prior to August 2020. 
  • Nationally, prices of staple food commodities have remained stable in the past few months. Domestic and imported wheat prices are over 30 percent lower than the same time last year and around 15 percent lower than the three-year average. The recent price declines are attributed to the domestic harvest, good inflow of imports, and reduced staple food import tariffs by the government.
 Read the full analysis
Food Security Outlook Briefing Food Security Outlook Briefing

October 2022 - May 2023

View More Central Asia Videos
Latest Analysis Latest Analysis
View All Central Asia Analysis
Food Security
Food Security Outlook Update Due to low water availability, second-season crops face stress conditions Afghanistan August 2023
Food Security Outlook Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes expected in areas where wheat production is low Afghanistan June 2023 - January 2024
Key Message Update Food access moderately improves as the 2023 harvest begins, and market access increases Afghanistan May 2023
Agroclimatology
Global Weather Hazards Flooding spreads into southeastern Africa, while parts of southern Africa remain abnormally dry Global February 17, 2023 - February 23, 2023
Global Weather Hazards Southern Africa experiences flooding, while abnormal dryness continues in Eastern Africa Global February 10, 2023 - February 16, 2023
Global Weather Hazards Southern Africa experiences flooding, while abnormal dryness continues in Eastern Africa Global February 10, 2023 - February 16, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia August 2023
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia July 2023
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia June 2023
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security
Food Security Outlook Update Due to low water availability, second-season crops face stress conditions Afghanistan August 2023
Food Security Outlook Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes expected in areas where wheat production is low Afghanistan June 2023 - January 2024
Key Message Update Food access moderately improves as the 2023 harvest begins, and market access increases Afghanistan May 2023
Agroclimatology
Global Weather Hazards Flooding spreads into southeastern Africa, while parts of southern Africa remain abnormally dry Global February 17, 2023 - February 23, 2023
Global Weather Hazards Southern Africa experiences flooding, while abnormal dryness continues in Eastern Africa Global February 10, 2023 - February 16, 2023
Global Weather Hazards Southern Africa experiences flooding, while abnormal dryness continues in Eastern Africa Global February 10, 2023 - February 16, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia August 2023
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia July 2023
Price Bulletin Central Asia Price Bulletin Central Asia June 2023
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security Classification Data View all Central Asia classification data
Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (April 2021 - September 2021)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (April 2021 - May 2021) and medium term (June 2021 - September 2021) periods.

Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile April 2021 (.zip) (ZIP) Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification April 2021 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: April 2021 - May 2021 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: June 2021 - September 2021 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: April 2021 - May 2021 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: June 2021 - September 2021 (.kml) (KML) Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (September 2022 - January 2023)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (September 2022) and medium term (October 2022 - January 2023) periods.

Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile September 2022 (.zip) (ZIP) Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification September 2022 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: September 2022 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: October 2022 - January 2023 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: September 2022 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: October 2022 - January 2023 (.kml) (KML) Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (June 2020 - January 2021)

Current (June 2020) food security outcomes and forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (June 2020 - September 2020) and medium term (October 2020 - January 2021) periods.

Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile June 2020 (.zip) (ZIP) Central Asia Acute Food Insecurity Classification June 2020 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Current Situation: June 2020 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: June 2020 - September 2020 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: October 2020 - January 2021 (.png) (PNG) Current Situation: June 2020 (.kml) (KML) Near Term Projection: June 2020 - September 2020 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: October 2020 - January 2021 (.kml) (KML)
Remote Sensing Imagery Remote Sensing Imagery

USGS-provided data and imagery supports FEWS NET's monitoring efforts of weather and climate throughout the world.

View all remotely sensed imagery
Get the latest food security updates in your inbox Sign up for emails

The information provided on this Website is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.