Poor households’ access to food is reduced due to high food prices

• Poor households in Liptako Gourma and insecure areas in central and northern regions face ongoing Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity. This food security situation is expected to deteriorate into a Crisis (IPC Phase 3) from April/May onwards due to various factors, including the early depletion of food stocks, high food prices, and the continued decline in livelihoods linked to residual insecurity. Additionally, poor households residing in Ansongo, Gao, and Ménaka, where the displaced account for nearly 40 percent of the population, are experiencing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food insecurity. The situation for these households is expected to worsen in inaccessible areas of Ménaka between June and September 2023, primarily due to limited access to income, food, or humanitarian assistance.

• Throughout the country, market supplies remain adequate exception for insecure areas in the central and northern regions, where physical access challenges or inaccessibility are reducing supply flows. Additionally, there is a strong dependence of households on the markets due to the depletion of stocks, as well as a rise in staple food prices, which is reducing food access for poor households in Ménaka, Ansongo, and Gao due to the decline in trade flows and food stocks in connection with the disruption of road traffic. 

• From April to June, the ongoing pastoral lean season will be typical as a result of normal pasture availability and water points. However, in insecure areas in the central and northern regions of Ségou, limited access to specific pastures and water points due to insecurity is adversely impacting livestock feed. This situation has led to a decline in animal production and a subsequent deterioration in livestock body conditions. As a result, incomes for pastoral households are adversely affected.

• Across the country, poor households are experiencing reduced food access due to high staple food prices exceeding the five-year average by more than 30 percent. In addition, the early depletion of stocks in the insecure areas of Liptako Gourma, along with declining production levels in other parts of the country, has contributed to a deterioration in the livestock/cereals' terms of trade, leading to a decrease in household incomes. These factors have collectively reduced the ability of poor households to access food, with particularly severe impacts felt in Ménaka and Ansongo, where market functionality is disrupted.

Recommended Citation: FEWS NET. Mali Key Message Update, March 2023. Poor households’ access to food is reduced due to high food prices.