Food crises are nearly always due to a combination of factors, but it is important to establish whether the nature of food crises is predominantly related to lack of food availability, limited access to food, or severe but localized problems. Countries in crisis requiring external assistance for food are expected to lack the resources to deal with reported critical problems of food insecurity. Three levels of crises are described in this field in descending severity: countries facing an exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies as a result of crop failure, natural disasters, interruption of imports, disruption of distribution, excessive post-harvest losses, or other supply bottlenecks; countries with widespread lack of access, where a majority of the population is considered to be unable to procure food from local markets, due to very low incomes, exceptionally high food prices, or the inability to circulate within the country; countries with severe localized food insecurity due to the influx of refugees, a concentration of internally displaced persons, or areas with combinations of crop failure and deep poverty.

Topic: Afghanistansevere localized food insecurity: due to civil conflict, population displacement, and economic slowdown - between November 2021 and March 2022, during the winter lean season, the food insecurity situation is expected to deteriorate and the number of people in "Crisis" or above is likely to increase to 22.8 million, about 35% more than during the same season in 2020/21; following the developments of August 2021 in the country, the international aid flows, an important element of public spending, were halted; the food security situation and agricultural livelihoods in the country is likely to significantly deteriorate in the coming months due to cumulative and cascading impact of multiple shocks, including weather, conflict, economic crisis and the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic (2022)

Topic: Bangladeshsevere localized food insecurity: due to economic constraints -  losses in income and remittances caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic and its containment measures led to an increase in poverty; the high prices of rice and other important food items, including edible oils (soybean oil and loose palm oil), have severely constrained the purchasing power for food for a large section of the vulnerable population above the poverty line (2022)

Topic: Burkina Fasosevere localized food insecurity: due to civil insecurity in the north - in the upcoming peak of the lean season, between June and August 2022, 2.6 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity; domestic cereal production in 2021 was estimated at a below-average level due to effects of adverse weather and the civil conflict, further aggravating conditions; in Centre-Nord and Sahel regions, insecurity continues to cause population displacements, further deteriorating the food security situation; a coup d’état on January 2022 is an additional factor that could increase civil insecurity and further stress food insecurity conditions (2022)

Topic: Burmasevere localized food insecurity: due to conflict, political instability, and economic constraints - the political crisis, following the military takeover on 1 February 2021, resulted in increased tensions and unrest throughout the country; the current uncertain political situation may further compromise the fragile situation of vulnerable households and the Rohingya IDPs residing in the country; armed conflict between the military and non‑state armed groups led to population displacements, disrupted agricultural activities and limited access for humanitarian support especially in Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Kayah and Shan states; income losses and a decline in remittances, due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic, have affected the food security situation of vulnerable households (2022)

Topic: Burundiwidespread lack of access: due to the effects of weather - about 1 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure between January and March 2022, due to livelihood losses and displacements caused by the rising water level of Lake Tanganyika and the overflow of rivers, sustained repatriation flows and the socio-economic impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic (2022)

Topic: Cameroonsevere localized food insecurity: due to civil insecurity and population displacements - according to October 2021 analysis, about 2.4 million people were estimated to be severely food insecure between October and December 2021; this mainly results from the impacts of Boko Haram incursions in Far North Region, the socio‑political unrest in Northwest and Southwest regions and COVID‑19‑related economic shocks, which disrupted trade flows and agricultural practices, deteriorated livelihoods and displaced people (2022)

Topic: Central African Republicexceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to internal conflict - persisting conflicts and displacements are expected to continue affecting agricultural activities and limit farmers’ access to crop growing areas and inputs, with a negative impact on 2022 crop production; in most prefectures, civil insecurity in 2021 continued to cause population displacements and widespread disruption of agricultural and marketing activities with negative consequences on food availability and access; the socio‑economic effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic, coupled with the high level of prices of some food staples, reduced substantially the households’ purchasing power (2022)

Topic: Chadwidespread lack of access: due to civil insecurity and shortfall in cereal production - according to the latest analysis, about 965 000 people were estimated to be in "Crisis" and above, between October and December 2021 due to persisting insecurity in Lac and Tibesti regions that disrupted livelihood activities and caused population displacements; domestic cereal production was estimated at a below-average level in 2021 due to adverse weather and the civil conflict; as a result, between June and August 2022, 1.74 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity (2022)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of thewidespread lack of access: due to internal conflict in eastern regions and economic downturn - according to a November 2021 analysis, 26 million people are projected to be severely food insecure, in "Crisis" or above, between January and June 2022; this is due to persisting conflict in eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, which continues to cause displacements, coupled with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)

Topic: Congo, Republic of thesevere localized food insecurity: due to floods - on 29 November 2021, a state of emergency was declared due to floods in northern areas that caused crop and livestock losses, and displaced people, particularly in Likouala, Sangha, Cuvette and Plateaux departments; it is estimated that about 71,700 people have been affected, (2022)

Topic: Djiboutiwidespread lack of access: due to floods - about 194,000 people were estimated to be severely food insecure in the January‑August 2021 period, mainly due to livelihood losses caused by floods and landslides, and as a result of the socio‑economic impact of the pandemic on the livelihoods of vulnerable households; Cyclone Sagar struck the country on 19 and 20 May 2021, bringing torrential rains; the precipitation received, about 110 mm, was the equivalent of the average rainfall for an entire year and triggered heavy flooding, especially in the capital, Djibouti City and surrounding areas (2022)

Topic: Eswatinisevere localized food insecurity: due to economic downturn - nearly 336,000 people were assessed to be food insecure at least until March 2022, prior to the main harvest period, primarily due to food access constraints, underpinned by the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy (2022)

Topic: Ethiopiawidespread lack of access: due to civil conflict and drought - more than 16 million people were estimated to be severely food insecure in the May−June 2021 period; the high levels of food insecurity are mainly due to the lingering impact of the measures implemented in 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID‑19 pandemic, macro‑economic challenges resulting in high food prices, localized but significant locust‑induced crop and pasture losses, the negative impact on crop and livestock production of erratic rains in the first half of the year and to the intensification of inter‑communal violence since 2020 in several areas and the ongoing conflict in Tigray Region (2022)

Topic: Guineasevere localized food insecurity: due to reduced incomes - about 740,000 people are projected to face severe food insecurity in the upcoming June to August 2022 period (2022)

Topic: Haitisevere localized food insecurity: due to reduced agricultural production and socio-political turmoil - about 4.56 million people are estimated to be facing severe acute food insecurity and in need of urgent food assistance between March and June 2022; the high levels of food insecurity are the result of consecutive reduced cereal harvests between 2018 and 2021, and elevated food prices, exacerbated by sociopolitical turmoil; two natural disasters (a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and a tropical storm) that struck in August 2021, destroyed productive assets and infrastructures, and caused losses of stored food, further aggravating conditions; the lack of income-earning opportunities amid worsening insecurity and difficult macroeconomic conditions is likely to heighten food insecurity (2022)

Topic: Iraqsevere localized food insecurity: due to civil conflict and economic slowdown - the 2022 Humanitarian Needs Overview identified 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 0.96 million have acute humanitarian needs; while the number of people in need remained similar to the previous year, the severity of those needs increased, largely due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on top of an existing humanitarian crisis, leading to a 35% increase in the number of people in acute need; more than half of these are concentrated in the governorates of Nineveh and Anbar; the number of severely food insecure people is estimated at about 435,000, while 731,000 are vulnerable to food insecurity (2022)

Topic: Kenyaexceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to drought conditions - about 3.1 million people were estimated to be severely food insecure in February 2022 reflecting consecutive poor rainy seasons since late 2020 that affected crop and livestock production, mainly in northern and eastern pastoral, agro-pastoral and marginal agricultural areas; the deterioration of the food security situation is mainly due to the negative impact of two consecutive poor rainy seasons since October 2020 on crop and livestock production and on on‑farm income‑earning opportunities; the impact of the measures implemented to curb the spread of the COVID‑19 pandemic on economic activities exacerbated food insecurity (2022)

Topic: Korea, Northwidespread lack of access: due to low food consumption levels, poor dietary diversity, and economic downturn - a large portion of the population suffers from low levels of food consumption and very poor dietary diversity; the economic constraints, particularly resulting from the global impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic, have increased the population’s vulnerability to food insecurity; the food gap is estimated at about 860,000 mt, equivalent to approximately 2-3 months of food use, if this gap is not adequately covered through commercial imports and/or food aid, households could experience a harsh lean period (2022)

Topic: Lebanonwidespread lack of access: due to the ongoing financial and economic crisis - the World Food Program (WFP) estimates that, as a result of the ongoing economic crisis, over 1.3 million Lebanese citizens, about 36% of the total population, were food insecure by the end of September 2021; the number of Lebanese households with serious food access constraints reached 57% in September 2021, up from 40% in September 2020; domestic cereal production covers, on average, less than 20% of the consumption needs and the country depends heavily on imports (2022)

Topic: Lesothosevere localized food insecurity: due to loss of income-generating activities -  the number of people facing "Crisis" levels of food insecurity between January and March 2022 is estimated at 338,000, reflecting the effects of a slow economic recovery that has impinged on households’ economic capacity to access food (2022)

Topic: Liberiasevere localized food insecurity: due to high food prices - production of rice, a main staple food, was estimated at a below-average level in 2021, a factor that is expected to further aggravate food insecurity in 2022 (2022)

Topic: Libyasevere localized food insecurity: due to civil insecurity, economic and political instability, and high food prices - an estimated 800,000 people, 10% of the population, need humanitarian assistance, of which 500,000 require food assistance (2022)

Topic: Madagascarsevere localized food insecurity: due to the effects of extreme weather events - cyclones and tropical storms in early 2022 have affected a large number of people, particularly in eastern regions, and the number of food insecure people is expected to increase later in 2022; moreover, drought conditions continue to affect households in the south, which is likely to result in an increase in the severity and prevalence of food insecurity in these areas (2022)

Topic: Malawisevere localized food insecurity: due to reduced incomes and shortfalls in cereal production - an estimated 1.65 million people are facing "Crisis" levels of food insecurity between January and March 2022, underpinned by localized shortfalls in cereal production and the lingering impact of an economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the effects of poor rains at the start of the cropping season and tropical storm Ana in January 2022 are expected to cause an increase in humanitarian needs later in 2022, due to crop and livelihood losses (2022)

Topic: Malisevere localized food insecurity: due to civil insecurity and shortfall in staple food production - between June and August 2022, 1.84 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity, driven in part by a shortfall in staple food production in 2021; sanctions imposed on the country, following the postponement of elections by the transitional military government, are likely to slow down economic activity and further weigh on households’ economic capacity to access food (2022)due to civil insecurity and shortfall in staple food production - between June and August 2022, 1.84 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity, driven in part by a shortfall in staple food production in 2021; sanctions imposed on the country, following the postponement of elections by the transitional military government, are likely to slow down economic activity and further weigh on households’ economic capacity to access food

Topic: Mauritaniasevere localized food insecurity: due to poor performance of cereal production - domestic cereal production declined in 2021 due to poor weather, which is likely to worsen conditions of the most vulnerable households; in the upcoming peak of the lean season, between June and August 2022, 660,000 people are projected to face severe food insecurity (2022)

Topic: Mozambiquesevere localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in staple food production, insecurity in northern areas, and extreme weather events - an estimated 1.9 million people require humanitarian assistance until at least March 2022, primarily due to shortfalls in food production and the impact of insecurity in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where populations are experiencing the severest levels of acute food insecurity; approximately 24,000 people are facing "Emergency" levels of food insecurity; cyclones and tropical storms in early 2022 have affected a large number of people, particularly in central provinces, and the number of food insecure people is expected to increase in late 2022 (2022)due to localized shortfalls in staple food production, insecurity in northern areas, and extreme weather events - an estimated 1.9 million people require humanitarian assistance until at least March 2022, primarily due to shortfalls in food production and the impact of insecurity in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where populations are experiencing the severest levels of acute food insecurity; approximately 24,000 people are facing "Emergency" levels of food insecurity; cyclones and tropical storms in early 2022 have affected a large number of people, particularly in central provinces, and the number of food insecure people is expected to increase in late 2022

Topic: Namibiasevere localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in cereal production - an estimated 750,000 people are projected to face "Crisis" levels of food insecurity between December 2021 and March 2022, as a result of localized areas that suffered from poor harvests in 2021 and the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily through income and job losses that constrained households’ access to food (2022)

Topic: Nigerexceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to internal conflict and shortfall in cereal production - as of January 2022, an estimated 265,000 people have been displaced due to civil conflict; in addition, domestic cereal production was estimated at a below-average level in 2021, due to effects of adverse weather and the civil conflict, which is expected to further aggravate conditions; the aggregate cereal production in 2021 is officially estimated at 3.5 million mt, nearly 40% below the five‑year average; as a result, between June and August 2022, 3.64 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity; this is a 40% increase compared to the current post‑harvest period, underpinned by the reduced cereal production in 2021, high food prices and the high likelihood of persisting disruptions of markets and agricultural activities amid increasing insecurity (2022)

Topic: Nigeriawidespread lack of access: due to persistent civil conflict in the northern areas - according to the latest analysis, between June and August 2022, the number of food insecure is projected to increase to 18 million people period as a result of worsening conflict that is driving new population displacements; the areas inaccessible to humanitarian interventions are facing the worst food insecurity conditions (2022)

Topic: Pakistansevere localized food insecurity: due to population displacements, economic constraints, and high prices of the main food staple - according to the latest analysis, about 4.66 million people, 25% of the population, are estimated to be facing high levels of acute food insecurity, "Crisis" and above, until at least April 2022 in 25 districts analyzed in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces; prices of wheat flour, the country’s main staple, were at high levels in most markets in January 2022, constraining access to the staple food (2022)

Topic: Senegalsevere localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in cereal production - about 770,000 people are projected to face severe food insecurity between June and August 2022, reflecting persisting food access constraints; mostly on account of localized shortfalls in cereal production and reduced incomes owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)

Topic: Sierra Leonesevere localized food insecurity: due to high food prices - about 1.45 million people are projected to face severe food insecurity in the upcoming June to August 2022 period on account of high food prices and low purchasing power, resulting in acute constraints on households’ economic access to food (2022)

Topic: Somaliaexceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to drought conditions and internal conflict - an estimated 4.15 million people are facing severe food insecurity between February and March 2022, mainly as a result of consecutive poor rainy seasons since late 2020, which severely affected crop and livestock production, and due to heightened conflict since early 2021; two consecutive poor rainy seasons resulted in significant crop and livestock production shortfalls, while food access has been severely affected in recent months by declining employment opportunities in rural areas and by the escalation of conflict (2022)

Topic: South Sudanwidespread lack of access: due to economic downturn, civil insecurity, lingering impact of floods and prolonged conflict - despite sustained humanitarian assistance, food insecurity still affects large segments of the population, driven by insufficient food supplies, an economic downturn, high food prices and the lingering impact of widespread floods in 2020; particular concern exists for households in Jonglei, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal and Warrap states, and in neighbouring Pibor Administrative Area, where 60-85% of the population were estimated to be severely food insecure (2022)

Topic: Sri Lankawidespread lack of access: due to serious macroeconomic challenges, significant reduction in 2022 cereal output, and high food prices - severe macroeconomic challenges, mostly reflecting dwindling foreign currency reserves after revenues from merchandise exports, remittances, and from the tourist sector declined dramatically over the last year, have had a negative impact on the country’s capacity to import cereals; the 2022 cereal production sharply declined due to a government ordered reduction in the application of chemical fertilizers; unprecedentedly high food prices are constraining economic access to food for a majority of households

Topic: Sudansevere localized food insecurity: due to conflict, civil insecurity, and soaring food prices - the number of severely food insecure people was estimated at 6 million between October 2021 and February 2022, mainly due to high food prices and inter-communal conflict (2022)

Topic: Syriaexceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies: due to civil conflict and a stagnant economy - battered by ten years of conflict and spill‑over effects from the financial crisis in Lebanon which used to act as a financial intermediary, the national economy continues to weaken; a nationwide food security assessment estimates that about 12.4 million people (60% of the overall population) are now food insecure in 2021, mostly due to constrained livelihood opportunities and a rapidly worsening economy (2022)

Topic: Tanzaniasevere localized food insecurity: due to localized shortfalls in staple food production - about 437,000 people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance between November 2021 and April 2022, mainly located in northeastern Mara, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions, reflecting a reduced “Vuli” harvest due to poor rains (2022)

Topic: Ugandasevere localized food insecurity: due to weather extremes - in Karamoja Region, about 188,000 people, 16% of the population, were estimated to be severely food insecure between August 2021 and January 2022, mainly a result of consecutive poor rainy seasons that adversely affected crop and livestock production (2022)

Topic: Ukrainewidespread lack of access: due to conflict - production prospects of 2022 winter crops hampered by low availability of inputs, delivery challenges, difficult physical access to fields due to the war, and eventual labor shortages; forecast for cereal exports in 2022 reduced, amid port closures, damage to infrastructure and implementation of government policies to secure sufficient domestic supplies; as of early March 2022, about 12 million people estimated to be in need of life saving assistance

Topic: Venezuelawidespread lack of access: due to severe economic crisis - the national economy, highly dependent on oil production and exports, is forecast to contract in 2021 for the eighth consecutive year; with the persistent negative effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic that have compounded the already severe macro‑economic crisis, the access to food of the most vulnerable households is expected to deteriorate throughout 2021 due to widespread losses of income‑generating activities and soaring food prices (2022)

Topic: Yemenwidespread lack of access: due to conflict, poverty, floods, high food and fuel prices - between January and June 2021, the number of food insecure was projected to increase by nearly 3 million to 16.2 million people; out of these, an estimated 11 million people will likely be in "Crisis," 5 million in "Emergency," and the number of those in "Catastrophe" will likely increase to 47,000; economic conditions in the country remain dire; the conflict is further hampering the already constrained livelihood activities and humanitarian access; income earning opportunities have declined due to COVID‑19‑related business disruptions (2022)

Topic: Zambiasevere localized food insecurity: due to reduced incomes and localized shortfalls in cereal production - an estimated 1.58 million people are projected to need humanitarian assistance at least up until March 2022, down from 2 million assessed to be food insecure in the corresponding period in 2020/21; the overall large national agricultural output in 2021 helped to reduce the prevalence of food insecurity in early 2022, however, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have constrained households’ economic access to food as well as localized shortfalls in crop production, have limited a larger improvement (2022)

Topic: Zimbabwewidespread lack of access: due to high food prices and economic downturn - an estimated 3 million people are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance between January and March 2022, largely on account of poor food access due to prevailing high food prices and reduced incomes owing to the effects of an economic downturn; below-average rainfall and extreme weather events in 2021/22 are likely to result in a decrease in cereal production and heighten food insecurity later in 2022 (2022)