October 3, 2022

COUNTRIES REQUIRING EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE FOR FOOD FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. In East Africa, engendered by multi-season droughts, the food insecurity situation is grave and unless humanitarian assistance is scaled up, famine is expected in parts of Somalia. Globally, multi-year high inflation rates, amid challenging macroeconomic environments, are aggravating food insecurity conditions, particularly in low-income food -deficit countries. REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS AFRICA Widespread and substantial rainfall deficits are foreseen to cause a decline in

Unless humanitarian assistance is urgently scaled up, famine is expected in late 2022 due to unprecedented multi‑season drought Highlights Famine is expected to occur in Bay Region between October and December 2022, if humanitarian assistance is not urgently scaled up. About 6.7 million people, over 40 percent of the total population, are projected to face severe acute food insecurity, including over 300 000 people in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). The dire food insecurity situation is the consequence of a prolonged drought that began in late 2020, compounded by the protracted conflict and hikes in international prices of foodstuffs and fuel