In focus
• Recent or ongoing harvests are generally contributing to greater food security in most parts of East Africa, West Africa, Central America and Asia while food insecurity levels are reaching their annual peak in Southern Africa.
• The Syrian conflict continues to have major impacts on food security throughout the subregion. Intensified conflict during the past months led to the internal displacement of about 3 million people inside Syria. In addition, 808,000 people have been registered as refugees or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries. There has been a substantial disruption in markets and livelihoods, also affecting bread and wheat flour supply chain. Cereal, fruit and vegetable production has dropped by about half according to latest estimates. The refugee outflow poses an increasing strain on receiving countries, in particular Jordan and Lebanon.
• Recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has increased the number of food insecure population, with 6.4 million people in IPC phase 4 (emergency) and phase 3 (crisis). IPC phase 4 conditions also prevail in some areas of Somalia and South Sudan. The resumption of conflict in Mali is expected to increase food insecurity levels in the North.
• Tropical storms have caused an increase in food insecurity levels in the Philippines, Haiti and Cuba due to extensive damage to infrastructure and crops. Parts of Sri Lanka are facing crop losses caused by a combination of drought conditions in the third quarter and flooding in December. In January, flooding affected areas of Mozambique and Malawi, causing damage to crops and infrastructure.
• Although international food price indices are at high levels, price transmissions to domestic markets have been limited. As an exception, higher prices have been reported in parts of Central Asia. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are experiencing substantial increases in the price of wheat and other food commodities impeding food access for many vulnerable groups. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, high wheat prices are driving down wage to wheat terms of trade.