FAO assesses that globally 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia, two in Latin America and the Caribbean and one in Europe, are in need of external assistance for food. In East Africa, engendered by multi-season droughts, the food insecurity situation is grave and unless humanitarian assistance is scaled up, famine is expected in parts of Somalia. Globally, multi-year high inflation rates, amid challenging macroeconomic environments, are aggravating food insecurity conditions, particularly in low‑income food­‑deficit countries.