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Addressing the impacts of COVID-19 in food crises | April–December 2020

FAO's component of the Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Plan














FAO. 2020. Addressing the impacts of COVID-19 in food crises | April–December 2020: FAO's component of the Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Plan. Rome.



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    Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) | Addressing the impacts of COVID-19 in food crises
    April–December 2020, May Update, FAO’s component of the Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Plan
    2020
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    At the beginning of April, the 2020 edition of the Global Report on Food Crises was issued, presenting a stark warning for the future. In 2019 – prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – 135 million people experienced Crisis (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC]/Cadre harmonisé [CH] Phase 3) and worse levels of acute food insecurity. A further 183 million were on the edge in stressed food security conditions (IPC/CH Phase 2) – in other words, just one shock away from severe acute food insecurity. COVID-19-related restrictions risk pushing many more into crisis. As the pandemic progresses in food crisis contexts, food availability as well as food access could emerge as a serious concern – in both rural and urban areas. The Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Plan has been revised significantly upwards to reflect the increasingly urgent need to address non-health impacts of COVID-19. Of these needs, the food security sector represents the largest component, for a total of USD 1.6 billion. As part of this, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is seeking USD 350 million to ensure the provision of critical assistance where there are already high levels of need, while meeting new needs emerging from the effects of COVID-19.
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    Addressing the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in food crises (April–December 2020)
    FAO’s component of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 (July update)
    2020
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    The world is standing on the precipice of the greatest food crisis in generations. Worldwide, people and their communities are reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which extend far beyond the direct health impacts. Food systems have been disrupted, informal employment all but stopped for millions, markets have closed and remittances have dried up and the most vulnerable have found themselves struggling to access sufficient food. Increasingly, as smallholders are unable to access the critical inputs they need to continue producing, food availability is emerging as a major concern. Conflict, weather extremes and pre-existing economic turbulence continue to push more people into acute hunger, exacerbated by the reverberations of the pandemic. The worst-case scenario of famine is inching closer to reality for millions of girls, boys, women and men, especially for the 27 million people that were already experiencing emergency levels of acute hunger before the pandemic. Responding to these challenges requires urgent action at scale. Critical agricultural seasons, livestock movements for pasture and water, food harvesting, processing and storage – these are not activities that can be put on hold as we tackle the health impacts of the pandemic. Without support, increasing numbers of people will be forced to abandon their livelihoods and rely on much more costly food assistance to survive. Anticipatory action now is not just more cost effective than waiting to rebuild livelihoods and communities later, it is more humane and respectful of the dignity of the billions of people relying on some form of agriculture for their livelihoods. This is at the heart of FAO’s response to the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. FAO’s programme focuses on four key components to save lives and livelihoods threatened by the pandemic, as follows: (i) rolling out data collection and analysis; (ii) ensuring availability of and stabilizing access to food for the most acutely food-insecure populations; (iii) ensuring continuity of the critical food supply chain for the most vulnerable populations; and (iv) ensuring food supply chain actors are not at risk of virus transmission.
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    Benin | Humanitarian response (April–December 2020)
    Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
    2020
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    Following the first confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Benin, the Government put in place a series of urgent measures, including essential health-related movement restrictions in 15 communes in the southern part of the country, preventing anyone from traveling within and outside the area. Although the Government lifted most of the restrictions at the beginning of June, their socio-economic impacts were felt by the population as they exacerbated the prolonged border closure with Nigeria, affecting economic activities with growth projected to decrease by 3.2 percent in 2020. Reduced demand interrupted supply chains and affected economic activity, which may lead to increased job losses, underemployment and losses in revenues. According to the Government’s Plan to mitigate the effects and impacts of COVID-19 on the agriculture sector and food security and nutrition, the pandemic will generally lead to the deterioration of food security. FAO is thus supporting the Government of Benin in addressing rising needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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