Factsheet
This factsheet examines the relationship between acute food insecurity and protracted humanitarian crises, introducing the concept of the food insecurity gap to capture both the scale and intensity of food insecurity. Using data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Cadre Harmonisé and UN-coordinated humanitarian appeals, it analyses global trends between 2019 and 2022.
The analysis shows that the majority of people facing the most severe food insecurity live in countries experiencing protracted humanitarian crises, where food insecurity is both more widespread and more intense. By combining measures of population size and depth of need, the factsheet provides an evidence base to inform more effective targeting of humanitarian assistance and to support responses that address both immediate needs and longer-term drivers of crisis.
