ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross

Published purpose

August 2021 - Prior to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19), humanitarian needs, including those related to food security, had already reached unprecedented levels. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation by disrupting food production, supply and distribution; destabilizing food prices; and reducing country and/or consumer purchasing power. According to the July 2021 Food and Agriculture Organization’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, in 2020 the world experienced the single largest increase in global hunger ever recorded, with as many as 160 million additional people falling deeper into hunger. This trend has only continued into 2021. In Africa in particular, hunger affects 21% of the population. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is scaling up its response to the global food crisis, including through adapting its programs to address the needs and challenges related to food insecurity in conflict settings. The ICRC is coordinating with the rest of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Societies, to support a local and global response to the food crisis. With GAC’s support, the ICRC is working to ensure assistance, including food assistance, reaches the most difficult-to-access populations, in crisis- and conflict-affected contexts. Project activities include: (1) distributing nutritional supplements for the prevention of malnutrition to households with children aged six to twenty-three months; (2) providing supplementary food rations (super cereal plus) to pregnant and lactating women who visit ICRC-supported primary health care facilities; and (3) working with vulnerable farmers, livestock-keeping communities and other affected populations (including internally displaced peoples, returnees and residents) on sustainable solutions to increase their level of production.