September update of the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises

The September update of the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises reports on the magnitude and severity of acute food insecurity in 2021 in countries that qualified as food crises in 2020 in the GRFC 2021.

Using data available by 10 September 2021, this update highlights the highest number of people in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 2021.

In many countries, the numbers were already higher than in 2020 and acute food insecurity continued to be primarily driven by high levels of conflict/insecurity in conjunction with economic shocks, including COVID-19-related effects, as well as weather extremes and natural disasters or a combination of these drivers.

KEY FINDINGS

• By September 2021, around 161 million people were in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) or equivalent in 42 out of 55 countries/territories included in the GRFC 2021 – already surpassing the figure of 155 million in 2020. 
• By September 2021, around 584 000 people were in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) in four countries. 401 000 in Ethiopia's Tigray region in July–September 2021* 28 000 in southern Madagascar in October–December 2021* 108 000 in South Sudan in April–July 2021 47 000 in Yemen in January–June 2021
• By September 2021, around 111 million people were in Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) in nine out of the 10 largest food crises of 2020
• By September 2021, 227 million people were in Stressed (IPC/CH Phase 2) or equivalent in 40 out of 55 countries/territories included in the GRFC 2021.