There are now over 30 countries requiring external food assistance. These countries lack the resources to deal with critical problems of food insecurity. These food crises are nearly always due to a combination of factors including lack of food availability, limited access to food, localized or global supply problems, conflict, and the environment. Most of the countries analyzed here have a shortfall in aggregate food availability as a result of at least one of these contributing factors, including: crop failure, natural disaster, interruption of imports, excessive post-harvest losses, supply bottlenecks, and disruption of distribution due to conflict, weather or labour shortages.
In Somalia food availability has been negatively affected by conflict, civil insecurity and consecutive unfavourable rainy seasons. About 2.1 million people are estimated to be in need of emergency assistance, mainly agro‑pastoral and pastoral communities affected by poor 2018 October‑December “Deyr” rains and severe dryness during most of the 2019 April‑June “Gu” season.
In the Central African Republic, conflict, displacements and food supply constraints have negatively impacted food availability. The number of severely food insecure people in CAR has decreased by ten percent to 1.81 million in August 2019, compared to a year before. This is mainly the result of localized security improvements, which allowed some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their place of origin. However, CAR continues to experience a precarious humanitarian situation and persistent insecurity is still affecting households’ access to food and livelihoods, significantly disrupting livestock, fishing and agricultural activities in eastern and southeastern areas.
In Kenya, consecutive unfavourable rainy seasons have left 3.1 million people severely food insecure. The most affected communities are located in northern and eastern areas as a result of the cumulative impact of poor 2018 October-December “short-rains” and severe dryness during most of the 2019 March-May “long-rains” season.
In Burundi, years of civil insecurity, economic downturn and localized crop production shortfalls have disrupted markets, farming activities and livelihoods, coupled with limited humanitarian assistance and declining food import capacity, continue to seriously affect food security conditions. The most food insecurity areas are in the westernmost parts of Makama, Rutana, Ruygi and Cankuzo provinces, where torrential rains in 2018 triggered floods and landslides resulting in crop losses. The latest available data from Burundi is from late-2018, which indicated that about 1.72 million people were severely food insecure.
In Niger, civil conflict affects eastern and western areas, leaving 1.2 million people in need of immediate food assistance. Due to the civil conflict also occurring in neighbouring countries, more than 104,000 people are internally displaced, about 176,000 people live in Niger as refugees, of which 119,000 are from Nigeria and 56,000 are from Mali, further increasing the food-supply burden on Niger.
In Cameroon, conflict and an influx of refugees is putting strain on host communities; food security. The number of IDPs in the far north Regin is estimated to have increased since late 2018, to 263,000 people. In the northwest and southwest regions, 1.3 million people were estimated to be in need of food assistance in June 2019 and 531,000 people were internally displaced. Cameroon also hosts about 108,000 refugees from Nigeria and nearly 288,000 refugees from the Central African Republic.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, conflict and displacements in eastern and southern areas as well as influx of refugees has lead to sever food insecurity. As of August 2019, 15.9 million people were estimated to be severely food insecure. DRC hosts 537,000 refugees, more than 30 percent of which are located in the region of North Kivu. The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) continues to be a growing and serious concern, compounding other diseases including maleria, cholera, and measles.
In Chad, continued insecurity and border closure with Libya has left 640,000 people food insecure between. Nearly 13, 000 people remained internally displaced, almost entirely on account of the insurgency in the northeast of Chad. Border closures with Libya further complicates food supplies from arriving in Chad.
South Sudan continues to be negatively affected by conflict, civil insecurity and severe economic downturn. Despite sustained humanitarian assistance, food insecurity still affects large segments of the population. The number of 
severely food insecure people is 6.35 million, 54 percent of the total population. The food security situation is a result of persisting insecurity, insufficient food supplies, an economic downturn, trade disruptions and high food prices. In addition, the internally displaced caseload was estimated at 1.83 million people.
In Sudan conflict, civil insecurity and soaring food prices have left nearly six millions people severely food insecure. IDPs and people living in conflict-affected areas remain most affected. In early September, about 346,000 people were displaced by floods triggered by torrential rains.
Mali’s food security situation is negatively impacted by persistent civil insecurity in the centre and north of the country. Mali is hosting approximately 27,000 refugees, in addition to 148,000 internally displaced people, and 74,000 returnees who rely on humanitarian assistance for survival. About 549,000 people are in need of food assistance.
Civil conflict in Syria affects 6.5 million people who remain inside Syria and that are food insecure and in need of food and livelihood support. An additional 2.5 million people are at risk of food insecurity and need livelihood support to strengthen their resilience. Although some international food assistance is being provided, Syrian refugees are also straining host communities' resources in neighbouring countries including Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Greece, and Jordan.
In Yemen, conflict, poverty and high food and fuel prices has contributed to 1.25 million people remaining severely food insecure. Over 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen.
Civil conflict in Iraq continues to displace 1.8 million people, leaving 2.4 million people are vulnerable to food insecurity.
In Afghanistan, civil conflict and population displacement has resuled in 13.5 million people facing IPC Phase 3: "Crisis" or worse, levels of food insecurity, of which 3.6 million are facing IPC Phase 4: "Emergency" levels. Continuing conflict, natural hazards and limited economic opportunities have increased the vulnerability of the poorest households, including subsistence farmers.
Large numbers of refugees putting strain on host communities in Bangladesh. About 910,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar continue to seek refugee in Bangladesh, mainly in the Cox’s Bazar District. Most refugees fled to Bangladesh following the resurgence of violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar in late August 2017. The host population in Cox’s Bazar and Rohingya refugees leaves over 1.2 million people at risk of food insecurity and continued high levels of malnutrition.
In Myanmar, conflict in parts of Kachin, Shan and Rakhine states results in at least 160,000 people internally displaced in Rakhine State and 106,500 in Kahin and Shan states. These IDPs reside in temporary settlements, where they suffer from high levels of food insecurity and require humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.
In Pakistan, population displacement and localized cereal production shortfalls continues to cause food insecurity. In parts of Balochistan and Sindh districts, persisting dry conditions in 2018 and 2019 led to a reduction in cereal output and losses of livestock, aggravating food insecurity and causing acute malnutrition. Pakistan hosts close to 1.4 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees. Most of these people are in need of humanitarian assistance and have strained the already limited resources of the host communities.
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