Context of the crisis and impact
Demographic, Social and Economic Context In El Salvador, at least 1.1 million people have humanitarian needs2 . This represents 16 per cent of the total population, around 6.6 million. Like other countries in the world, El Salvador is experiencing its first demographic transition as a result of a sustained reduction in mortality and fertility rates. It will move from a demographic of high mortality and fertility rates to one with low rates. As of 2019, El Salvador is at the peak of the demographic dividend, which means that the demographic dependency ratio, as an expression of the ratio between the population of potentially dependent or unproductive age and that of potentially independent and productive age, is on an upward trajectory. However, the potentially productive age population is projected to decline from 63.21% to 47.26% between 2027 and 2100, while the unproductive age population is projected to increase from 36.78% to 52.74%. This is important when planning humanitarian response, to consider the population structure and the dependency ratio.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war caused disruptions and interruptions in the normal functioning of markets, especially in areas such as energy, fertilisers, grains and vegetable fats, exacerbating supply chain difficulties in slowing and recovering economic environments. Despite hopes that the world would leave the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic behind and that food security would start to improve, global hunger increased further in 2021 reflecting compounded inequalities between and within countries.
Due to economic liberalisation and the dynamics of national production, these shocks have a direct impact on the prices of goods and services that make up the Basic Food Basket (BFB), which represents the minimum caloric requirement to meet the population’s nutritional needs. Inflationary shocks have an impact on the cost of the BFB and affect the poverty line, as they increase the cost of the goods that make up the BFB determining the number of people who can afford it.
The economic vulnerability described and exacerbated by shocks combines with other economic, social and environmental deprivations (unemployment, food insecurity, exposure to risks, the quality of housing and access to WASH services) to generate environments of crisis and fragility. Such environments are compounded by pre-existing conditions of vulnerability to hazards associated with climate change/disasters, violence, public health events, migration and forced displacement. The populations of interest will be people in double poverty (monetary and multidimensional) and aggravated mainly by underemployment, food insecurity, exposure to risks, vulnerability in housing quality (inadequate roof, inadequate floor and walls) and lack of access to drinking water and sanitation services.
Of particular concern is access to food and livelihoods.
The Salvadoran population continues to face a situation of food insecurity as a consequence of the cumulative effects described above. This combination of crises has impacted the national capacity to increase food production, especially of maize, beans and rice, essential products of the BFB, maintaining the country as a net importer of food. This situation could place the country at a disadvantage, especially when considering the decisions of some exporting countries to reduce or close exports to protect their own markets or the supply of their population.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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