Between May and August 2026, approximately 15.3 million people in Bangladesh—15 percent of the analysed population—are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), including around 483,000 people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). The analysis covered 40 units—36 administrative districts and four special areas. The four special areas comprise Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, together with the host and non-host communities in Cox’s Bazar. Of these, 17 units are in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), and the remaining 23 units are in IPC Phase 2 (Stressed). The analysed areas are mostly vulnerable to climate shocks, disproportionate poverty, and refugee influx.

Bandarban records the highest level of acute food insecurity, with 35 percent of its population in IPC Phase 3 or above and 5 percent in IPC Phase 4. Approximately 30 percent of the population in Khagrachhari, Rangamati, and Sunamganj, as well as FDMN community in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, are in IPC Phase 3 or above.

Food security is expected to worsen through the September–December 2026 projection period. The number of people in IPC Phase 3 or above is likely to climb to 18.1 million—18 percent of the analysed population—including 787,000 people in IPC Phase 4. The number of units in IPC Phase 3 is also expected to rise to 21, as Bagerhat, Barishal, Jhalokati, and Noakhali deteriorate from Stressed (Phase 2) to Crisis (Phase 3) conditions. 

Life-saving humanitarian assistance and food security: Scale up cash and in-kind food assistance for populations in IPC Phase 3 or above—prioritising ultra-poor households hit by recent cyclones, floods, and the latest Rohingya influx. Embed nutrition support for children under five and pregnant and lactating women and expand subsidised sales (e.g. Open Market Sales) and public distribution to stabilise access for verified vulnerable households.

Livelihood restoration and resilience building: Provide livelihood support to agricultural households in IPC Phase 3 through cash and agri-inputs, livestock and fisheries inputs, climate- and nutrition-sensitive practices like homestead gardening, and cash-for-work to rehabilitate flood-damaged embankments and community infrastructure.

Agricultural and livestock support: Strengthen production and markets through cooperatives and aggregation centres, short-cycle and stress-tolerant crop varieties, prioritised imports of seeds and fertilisers despite foreign-currency constraints, affordable imported feed, scaled-up vaccination and deworming ahead of the flood season, and price protections that keep farmers from selling below cost.

Strengthen disaster preparedness and climate resilience: Revitalise critical infrastructure (such as waterways and embankments), pre-position emergency stocks, and empower community-level disaster management committees to lead localised mitigation and response planning.

Shock-responsive social protection: Expand and adapt social protection to reach a broader set of vulnerable groups—including farmers, livestock producers, and fishers—during lean seasons, fishing bans, and disasters, with effective targeting and adherence to humanitarian principles.

Coordination and governance: Enhance collaboration between government and humanitarian and development partners to enable integrated, intersectoral programming, advocacy, and timely resource mobilisation.

Nutrition services and surveillance: Promote infant and young child feeding and behaviour-change practices, improve dietary diversity and WASH coverage, integrate community-based wasting management (CMAM aligned with the latest WHO guidance) and IMCI into primary healthcare, and build a robust nutrition information and early-warning system to guide evidence-based response.