More than 234,000 people living in rural areas of Lesotho (15 percent of the analysed population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above, Crisis or worse) between May and September 2026. The acute food insecurity situation is driven mainly by climatic shocks, high food prices,and livestock disease.

During the projected period (October 2026 to March 2027), approximately 311,000 people in rural Lesotho (20 percent of the analysed population) are projected to face Phase 3 or above. Compared to the current period, when eight districts were classified in Phase 2, five districts—Quthing, Mafeteng, Berea, Butha-Buthe, and Mokhotlong—are projected to deteriorate into Phase 3, indicating a worsening acute food insecurity situation during the projection period. The remaining three districts (Leribe, Thaba-Tseka, and Qacha's Nek) are projected to remain in Phase 2. The anticipated transition to El Niño conditions is likely to result in a late onset of rains and elevated temperatures, leading to reduced crop production and increased disease outbreaks.

• Immediate conditional and unconditional humanitarian assistance for populations in Phase 3 or above in both rural and urban settlements.
• Government and partners to continue to design programmes intended to promote market access for farmers who have surplus from own produce.
• Government and its partners to implement programmes that will improve food and nutrition security e.g. establishment of additional nutrition clubs.
• Government and partners to intensify Integrated Catchment Management initiatives to improve rangelands and protect water sources.
• Intensify livestock vaccination campaigns and subsidise livestock drugs and vaccines to prevent seasonal livestock diseases.
• Government to scale up anticipatory actions to mitigate impact of hazards and shocks on food and nutrition security. 
• Government to invest more in risk financing to enhance early action in supporting farmers, food-insecure and other affected populations.
• Government to adopt recommended actions from the Integrated Context Analysis to fully operationalise the National Resilience Building Strategic Framework.
• Government to continue to subsidise agricultural inputs and strengthen targeting and access.