El Salvador: Acute Food Insecurity Situation December 2018 - March 2019 and Projection for April - July 2019
(Attached Report in Spanish)
RELEASE DATE
25.01.2019
VALIDITY PERIOD
01.12.2018 > 31.03.2019

Key
results


Recommendations
& next steps


Acute
Malnutrition


For the current period – December 2018 to March 2019 – around 179 000 inhabitants (13 percent) of the Eastern Region of El Salvador, located in the Central American Dry Corridor,  have been classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and 35 000 inhabitants (3 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), while 580 000 people (43 percent) have been classified in IPC Phase 2 (Stressed). 

Among the main factors that explain this classification are the losses in the Primera harvest and the affect on the Postrera sowing, caused by drought and floods respectively, which affect the low reserves, estimated to last until December, except in the case of La Union where they are expected to last until February 2019. Other factors are the use of crisis or emergency coping strategies, which families resort to in response to the deterioration of their livelihoods: consumption of seeds for next sowing and sale of breeding animals and land, and high expenditures to provide food at their tables. Both crisis and emergency strategies are being adopted in 73 percent of homes in San Miguel, 66 percent in Morazán, 62 percent in Usulután, and 59 percent in La Unión. Half of the households spend more than 50% of total spending on food purchases.

For the projected period of April to July 2019, the situation is set to worsen. Usulután is classified to be in  IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), while San Miguel, Morazán and La Union are classifieid to be in IPC Phase 2 (Stressed) with the greatest number of affected people. 

The food reserves of the departments of Usulután, San Miguel and Morazán will be depleted in December, depending on the production of the Postrera harvest, which will be less than expected especially due to the floods in October. Therefore, it is expected that it will not be enough to cover the food needs of families in the months of April to July 2019. Food expenditure is expected to increase in the months of April to July 2019, due to the low demand for work in the eastern zone and the few food reserves that families may have, especially in those households dependant on subsistence agriculture.


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