Most poor households in deficit areas are expanding their coping options to cover food gaps

Farming households across most typical deficit crop-producing areas in the south, west, and extreme northern regions of the country have depleted their own-produced food stocks from the 2017-18 harvest. Some areas will transition from Stressed (IPC Phase 2) to Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes from August through the peak of the lean season in 2019. In typical surplus crop-producing areas in the north and other parts of the country, current food security outcomes are Minimal (IPC Phase 1) and Stressed (IPC Phase 2). However, from August onwards these areas will predominantly be Stressed (IPC Phase 2) because poor households will face increasing challenges in meeting their basic livelihood needs.

Constrained livelihoods due to the ongoing liquidity crisis continue to limit poor households’ access to food and other basic needs. Below-average incomes from crop and livestock sales, remittances, petty trade, and limited better-off households’ food stocks are affecting labor opportunities for poor households, wage-rates, as well as self-employment prospects. Across large parts of the country, some poor households are already increasing and extending their consumption and livelihood coping options, and in some cases disposing of critical productive assets to get food.

Most markets are now being supplied with cereal crops from the 2018 harvest. The seasonal decrease in maize grain prices following the harvests continues to be marginal. Prices in FEWS NET sentinel markets for June were $0.29/kg, which is approximately 17 percent below the five-year average.

Rural food insecurity during the 2018-19 lean season is expected to be above the five-year average this consumption year. In view of anticipated above-average rural food insecurity during the 2018-19 lean season, the WFP has reported that it is planning for increased support.