According to a recent report from the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), 1.4 million people in Senegal are expected to be severely food insecure during the lean season in 2023. This represents a 62% increase from the same period in 2022. The report highlights that the current food insecurity situation has been worsened by various climate hazards, such as droughts and floods, as well as low pasture, insufficient food production, land degradation, and high food prices.

Since October 2022, prices have surged by 17% in the local market, with the price of locally produced cereals increasing by over 60%. This situation has primarily affected people who rely on agricultural activities for their livelihoods, which represents around 70% of the active population, as well as those with low incomes.

It is critical to address this issue by providing emergency food assistance, strengthening local food production systems, and improving food security policies and programmes to prevent such crises from recurring in the future. The report emphasizes that immediate action is needed to avert a worsening of the food insecurity situation and to mitigate the impact of future shocks.

The ACAPS report has raised concerns about the growing food insecurity crisis in Senegal and the urgent need for humanitarian interventions. The government of Senegal and its partners have been called upon to increase their efforts to address the root causes of food insecurity and to provide critical support to the most vulnerable communities.