Nearly 9 million people in parts of Bangladesh (24 percent of the analysed population) experienced high levels of acute food insecurity, classified in IPC Phase 3 and 4 between March and April 2023 (harvest season). An estimated 7.9 million people are in IPC Phase 3, Crisis and nearly 1 million people are in IPC Phase 4, Emergency. High inflation, coupled with reduced incomes and repeated climatic shocks are putting extreme stress on the poorest households and driving acute food insecurity in the analysed population. Urgent action is required to protect their livelihoods and reduce food consumption gaps. A majority of the analyzed districts have been prone to shocks and previously classified between moderate-to-severe levels of chronic food insecurity (IPC Bangladesh Chronic Food Insecurity Situation 2019-2024 report).

The situation is projected to deteriorate between May and September 2023 due to extreme weather events such as cyclones and flooding. The number of people in Phase 3 or higher is likely to increase to 11.9 million in this period – an 8 percent increase from the current period. Over 2 million people are projected to be in IPC Phase 4, Emergency between May and September 2023 with a majority of these people being forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. It is likely that household access to food will further deteriorate in this period due to the slow recovery from shocks that occurred in 2022 – severe flooding and prolonged exposure to high food prices – as well as a lean season.

The influx of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) will continue to increase due to the reduction in humanitarian assistance in March 2023 and funding shortfalls in the projected period.