Sudden escalation in food insecurity in areas around Lake Chad

The food security situation in areas around Lake Chad is deteriorating as frequent skirmishes between Boko Haram and multinational troops disrupt normal household food and income sources. Without humanitarian assistance, 3.5 to four million people in northeastern Nigeria, the Diffa region of Niger, western Chad, and northern Cameroon will face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity, and possibly Emergency (IPC Phase 4), between now and September 2015. Over the next six months, the worst affected households in these areas will see a steady deterioration in their food security status, with rising levels of acute malnutrition.

There will also be Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of food insecurity through June in Mauritania (where crop production was poor), Sierra Leone (hard hit by the Ebola outbreak), and the Central African Republic (where civil security problems continue to disrupt markets and poor households’ livelihoods).

All other areas are currently experiencing Minimal (IPC Phase 1) or Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food security outcomes, which should be sustained through the end of June by average to above-average 2014 crop production levels, ongoing harvests of off-season crops, and good local market functioning, with prices on most markets hovering around or below the five-year average. However, there could be localized areas in Senegal and Chad where current Stressed (IPC Phase 2) levels of food insecurity could deteriorate to Crisis (IPC Phase 3) stage without continued food assistance.