Attachments
Background
Protracted crises, whether human-induced or the result of repeated natural disasters, are often characterized by poor governance, weak institutional capacity and high levels of violence. These conditions can exacerbate food insecurity and hamper efforts to respond appropriately in a technical or non-political way. Often, the state has limited capacity to respond to and mitigate threats to populations, provide adequate levels of protection, or even to absorb aid and direct it in ways that address the underlying causes of the crisis.
Describing governance as fragile or weak covers a multitude of circumstances. In protracted crises, weak governance may be the result of structural deficiencies that hamper the ability of state institutions to respond to or mitigate threats to populations but may also reflect a deficiency in social and political inclusiveness, lack of accountability, or a breakdown in the social contract between a state and its citizens (cite A Harmer and Macrae). In such environments insecurity often prevails, service delivery is poor, and lack of justice or accountability can give way to elite capture of resources or other forms of corruption. Addressing food insecurity in protracted crises thus requires being acutely attuned to the unique nature of each situation and varying levels of weak governance, understanding the impact of these on livelihood and food systems, and adapting food security strategies and investments accordingly.