KEY MESSAGES
Ongoing assistance programs (free food distributions, cash transfers, food or cash-for-work, etc.) for poor households in central and southern areas of the country are reducing the number of zones facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity to just Brakna, eastern Assaba, and northern Gorgol.
However, due to the inadequacy and poor spatial distribution of current assistance programs, even with an average rainy season, the population in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) food insecurity is expected to grow between July and September 2015, with certain very poor households in western agropastoral areas and central areas of the Senegal River Valley in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food insecurity.
In rainfed farming areas, Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food insecurity is expected between July and September. Similarly, in other pastoral areas, despite the growth of new pasture which will end the pastoral lean season, the food security situation of poor households is not expected to show any major improvements until the next round of animal births, keeping affected households in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food insecurity through at least September.
