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Central America Sub-Regional Analysis - El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras : Humanitarian Needs Overview 2016 (Dec 2015)

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Impact of the crisis

The worst drought in decades, compounded by the effects of El Niño, is creating an alarming humanitarian situation for people living in the Dry Corridor, where the most vulnerable have limited means of resilience. Food insecurity, high rates of stunting and wasting, and loss of livelihoods are compounded by high rates of violence and social insecurity which heavily compromises coping capacities.

Humanitarian action in northern Central America will be guided by Humanitarian Response Plans and aims to deliver coordinated and integrated life-saving assistance to people affected by drought, while providing a tailored response to address chronic vulnerabilities.

Food Security

Insufficient and erratic rainfall since the appearance of El Niño conditions in March 2015 has resulted in the loss of staple grain crops and the death of thousands of cattle in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. This is the second consecutive year that the population in these areas is facing drought, destroying livelihoods and eroding their resilience.

More than 3.5 million people in these three countries are food insecure and need immediate food assistance, health care, livelihood recovery, and activities that increase resilience.

The most vulnerable population are subsistence farmers, labourers and landless farmers. These low income households are dependent on rainfall as they work in farming without irrigation, have limited access to basic health services and education, and face difficulties accessing the basic food basket.
Despite mitigation measures implemented in the affected countries, food insecurity has deteriorated for thousands of families resulting in a serious humanitarian situation.

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