Sharp reduction in the scale and magnitude of food insecurity
KEY MESSAGES
Generally, food security is characterized by significant improvements given the good to very good agricultural campaign and pastoral season this year.
This improvement should reduce the size of the 2011-2012 food-insecure population (close to six million people) by half, according to the findings by the joint assessment of vulnerability to food insecurity.Food insecurity is generally classified at IPC Phase 1:
Minimal levels between October and December and, in most parts of the country, should remain at this level between January and March of next year. At least 80 percent of the population of all livelihood zones should have sufficient cereal access to meet their food needs.Continuing regular rainfall through October helped produce generally average to good harvests in most departments in Tillaberi, Ouallam, Tera, and Filingue. However, continued monitoring is necessary in some localized deficit areas where the growing season did not end with a production surplus and where the lean season could begin early, possibly putting these areas in IPC Phase 2: Stress without timely implementation of the government assistance plan by January.
Excess rainfall riverine areas along the Niger River is responsible for the failed to mediocre harvests in these areas. Poor households dependent on rice-farming are currently in IPC Phase 2: Stress due to these crop failures and resulting losses of income. Conditions are expected to improve to IPC Phase 1: Minimal food insecurity with the harvesting of dry-season crops between December and next March.