Household access to food is improving as the first harvests are underway

As a result of good rainfall, a lull in crop pests, and overall average cereal production, an average agricultural campaign is progressing across the country. The exception, or areas where production will be below average, include insecure parts of central and northern regions and areas of the country affected by insecurity, floods, and low use of fertilizers.

Ongoing insecurity in the north and central regions has resulted in fewer agricultural and non-agricultural labor opportunities and population displacement. As a result, deteriorating household livelihoods are limiting the ability of households to meet their food and non-food needs, leading households to atypical coping strategies such as borrowing, reduced expenditures on non-food and food items, and reliance on humanitarian assistance.

Due to good livestock conditions for pastoral households, household access to food has improved with the average availability of green maize harvest, legumes, milk, and dairy products. However, food prices are more than 60 percent higher than the five-year average, limiting poor households’ access to food across the country.

Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food insecurity is expected in the Liptako Gourma area and northern parts of the country. Stressed (IPC Phase 2) is expected in the western Sahel, which will likely improve from October onwards as the harvest takes place, and households can access cash and food distributions from the government and humanitarian agencies. Thus, as the season progresses, poor households in the three-border area will face Stressed (IPC Phase 2) or worse food insecurity due to the persistence of insecurity in the area, while those in the western Sahel will face Minimal (IPC Phase 1) food insecurity.