Response priorities:

The food insecurity situation continued to worsen during the lean season, even in a normal year. Protracted conflict, a significant reduction in income because of lack of economic opportunities fueled by COVID-19, and localised prolonged dry spells will continue to affect rural and urban food security and livelihoods during the current and projection period. The following are the pressing needs to avoid hunger and asset depletion: 

• Consistent actions are required to contain a high rate of asset depletion and food consumption gaps through food assistance for the population classified in IPC Phase 3 or above. Markets are functional in major urban and peri-urban areas, so food assistance through cash assistance can play a crucial role in strengthening local markets.  
• Conditional food assistance should be considered to improve local livelihoods infrastructure, especially in prolonged dry spell-affected areas where improving the water infrastructure can resolve water scarcity issues for human consumption, crops, and livestock. Food Assistance programmes should target vulnerable food insecure women-headed households through unconditional cash grants/food assistance. 
• Seasonal food insecurity support may require an extension in a number of months supported in targeted areas where prolonged dry spell impacts seem to affect crops and livestock sector. Urban areas are equally vulnerable to large-scale food insecurity so cash assistance in urban areas will reduce food gaps.  
• Access to drought-resistant improved crop inputs should be increased in areas where there is consistent prolonged dry spell trends. Government and the international community need to work together to address this long persistent issue.  
• Building on the experience of 2018/2019, livestock support should be provided to small and medium-scale farmers, especially women farmers, to contain livestock asset depletion. This will help in reducing malnutrition in women and children.  
• Small-scale livelihood programmes are required to reduce the large-scale income gaps and lack of economic opportunities. In urban areas, a marketing review is required before launching such projects. In rural areas, building on experiences of small scale, poultry and kitchen gardening support will ensure access to nutritious food and income. 
• In case of severe lean season because of drought-like conditions, a scale-up in response may be required in rural areas, so monitoring the situation and effective response preparation is required to support those most in need i.e. agriculture labor and small scale agriculture and livestock farmers.

Stakeholders should also focus their attention and funding on programs to build resilience to disasters and reduce disaster risks, especially droughts and localized flooding.