Approximately 698,000 people in Zambia are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) from April to September 2026, representing a significant improvement compared to the same period in 2025.  

Acute food insecurity is expected to deteriorate between October 2026 and March 2027 during the lean season. Over 1.2 million people will likely experience Phase 3 or above conditions during this period.  

The underlying drivers of food insecurity in Zambia remain largely structural, largely driven by high poverty levels, especially in rural areas. Other compounding factors consist of persistent climatic shocks, including anticipated El Niño conditions, as well as crop pests and diseases and macroeconomic instability. 

The following response priorities are proposed for both the current and projected period:   

Humanitarian action and sustainability: Urgent humanitarian action is required to save lives, reduce food consumption gaps and protect livelihoods for all districts with a population in Phase 3. This will mean improving access to food through appropriate modalities for households.  

Income and expenditure: Interventions that strengthen the economic situation at household-level and promote resilience are recommended. This is necessary to ensure that all households remain food and nutrition secure.  

Nutrition Security: There is a need to ensure that the nutrition situation is continuously monitored. A follow-up SMART survey is recommended for all districts exhibiting worrying levels of food insecurity.  

Livelihood resilience: Rural households already face high poverty levels and therefore have reduced levels of resilience. Additional compounding factors such as exposure to hazards/shocks place further stress on these households and their livelihoods. This forces many of them to be stressed and engage in negative coping strategies. Emphasis should therefore be placed on rebuilding rural livelihoods, such as through income diversification, household economy strengthening and building productive community assets.  

In view of the projected Super El Niño, a review of the IPC Analysis by November 2026 is recommended.