Between the months of August and September 2023, an estimated 1.59 million people representing 17 percent of the population in Zambia have been classified in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worst. This population will require urgent humanitarian food assistance to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods as well as to prevent acute malnutrition. The current vulnerability in Zambia has been driven by high incidence of poverty, occurrence of macroeconomic instability and exposure to hydro meteorological hazard shocks. The food insecurity this season was primarily driven by climate related shocks and hazards. The food insecurity in the country is primarily driven by shocks and hazards experienced in the country such as prolonged dry spells, pests, diseases, high input and food prices mainly due exogenous shocks.

This included flooding, experienced between December 2022 and March 2023, prolonged dry spells, pest outbreaks of the Fall Army Worms (FAW), cassava brown streak virus disease that impacted the seasonal performance in addition to the stock borers as well as high input (fertilizers) and maize grain prices. Though the price of maize has been on the increase since the start of the 2022/2023 consumption year (April 2023 to March 2024), they still remain above 5-year average.

Out of 76 districts that were assessed, 45 districts have been classified in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and the remainder are classified as Stressed (IPC Phase 2) during the current period (August to September 2023). During the projected period, between October 2023 and March 2024, the food insecurity is expected to worsen with additional 22 districts in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) taking the total number of hotspot districts to 67. It is projected that about 2.04 million people representing 23 percent of the analyzed population will be classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) and require urgent humanitarian action to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihood and prevent acute malnutrition during the lean period.