Security remains a challenge that negatively impacts the agricultural season

The normal continuation of the agricultural season since its beginning in early April 2016 is creating overall satisfactory and favorable conditions for good crop development.  Nevertheless, given the residual effects of conflict on crop areas planted, manual labor revenue opportunities for poor households are below-average in conflict-affected areas.  These effects will also cause agricultural production to be below-average.

Sporadic confrontations between armed groups continue in certain areas and keep displaced populations in host families and in refugee and IDP camps. According to OCHA estimations in June 2016, internal displacements number 391,433 people, which is a 16 percent decrease since December 2015 as movements returning home have been recorded in Bangui and in southwestern, central, and northwestern prefectures.

The volatility of the security situation in affected areas often causes the suspension of movement for humanitarian actors and deprives populations of assistance. This situation combined with poor purchasing power and atypical stock depletion is driving food consumption deficits equivalent to Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes until at least January 2017, especially for IDPs, host families, and poor resident households in southwestern, central and northwestern prefectures.

For more detail, see the Food Security Outlook for June 2016 to January 2017.