The food security situation in Yemen’s government-controlled districts has improved, dropping to 22 percent, according to a new UN report.
The report didn’t cover the Houthi-ruled areas due to the restrictions imposed by them on relief organizations and their local partners.
This Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report covered 118 districts and areas under the control of the legitimate Yemeni government.
However, the number of people facing severe acute food insecurity remains very high and of great concern in the majority of the analyzed districts.
At the same time, the population with severe needs is projected to increase starting June, with Yemen remaining one of the most food-insecure countries in the world.
The report warned that these modest improvements were only a “temporary reprieve” as the key drivers of food insecurity remain and are projected to worsen during the period from June to December 2023.
The report showed that between January and May 2023, about 3.2 million people experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in government-controlled areas, representing a 23 percent drop from the period between October and December 2022.
Additionally, the number of people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) almost halved to 781,000 compared to the estimates for the last quarter of 2022.
During the June to December 2023 period, the report estimated that the number of people likely to experience high levels of acute food insecurity could increase to 3.9 million, out of which 2.8 million people are projected to reach crisis levels of hunger, and 1.1 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4).
In total, 117 of the 118 districts will be in IPC Phase 3 or above. Thirteen districts are expected to shift from IPC Phase 3 to Phase 4, while 15 districts shift from IPC Phase 2 (Stress) to Phase 3.
The area-level classification is expected to deteriorate further during the projection period for acute malnutrition with all 16 zones being classified in IPC AMN phases 3 (Serious) and above.
The main drivers of the deterioration include a projected 20 percent shortfall in humanitarian assistance, an anticipated increase in food and fuel prices to about 30 percent above the average levels, and a continuation of conflict in frontline districts.
The IPC is an innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, Governments, UN Agencies, NGOs, civil society, and other relevant actors, work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally recognized scientific standards.
The main goal of the IPC is to provide decision-makers with a rigorous, evidence- and consensus-based analysis of food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations, to inform emergency responses as well as medium- and long-term policy and programming.
The IPC was originally developed in 2004 to be used in Somalia by FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). Since then, a global partnership of 15 organizations has been leading the development and implementation of the IPC at the global, regional, and country levels.
With over 10 years of application, the IPC has proved to be one of the best practices in the global food security field, and a model of collaboration in over 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
