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Global Food Security Update - Issue 15, October 2014

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TRACKING FOOD SECURITY TRENDS IN VULNERABLE COUNTRIES

The Global Food Security Update provides a quarterly overview of key food security trends in vulnerable countries. Information is provided by WFP VAM field teams and partners.

In focus

• In conflict-affected south sudan, the food security situation is much worse than at harvest time in a typical year. Around 1.5 million people are expected to remain in Phase 3 (Crisis) and Phase 4 (Emergency) through December 2014.

• In syria, Changes in the government’s subsidy policy combined with a further depreciation of the Syrian currency is expected to negatively impact the food security status of poor families. WFP monitoring shows that the price of imported basic food items is increasing where escalating fighting has disrupted supply chains and markets.

• The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Iraq as fighting continues. Throughout the country, over 1.8 million people have been displaced.

• The conflict in the central african republic continues to affect food production and markets. Displaced persons remain in urgent need of food assistance.

• War in Gaza has led to massive population displacement, disruptions to the tunnel trade and the destruction of infrastructure.

• The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is undermining household food access in affected areas. An even larger number of people are affected by restrictions on movement and market disruptions.

• Drought in central america has caused large crop losses for the primera harvest. This will compound the negative food security effects of the coffee leafrust in the region.

• In Asia, poor rainfall has occurred in parts of Pakistan, sri lanka and the democratic, People’s republic of Korea. Massive flooding occurred in south asia in August, affecting some 1.8m people in Pakistan and 2m in Bangladesh.