In the northwest, central and southeast pastoral livelihood zones, a combination of successive poor rainfalls in the past two seasons, the failure of the heys/dada (October‐February) and the current delay in the Sougoum/Diraac rains (March‐May), has lead to deterioration in livestock conditions. This has resulted in lack of milk production and loss of food and income from livestock and livestock products. High staple food prices are also limiting access to food for poor pastoral households pushing them toward extreme levels of food insecurity. The number of people in need of food aid in pastoral areas is expected to increase from 55,000 to 80,000 from April through at least at the end of the year.

Livestock assets have been depleted in recent years due to continued degradation of pasture and water sources and subsequent high mortality rates. Loss of livestock in this season alone was estimated between 40 to 50 percent. Those households that have lost entire stocks could be forced into sedentary livelihoods if they are unable to rebuild their herds.

In urban areas, increasing staple food prices over the last twelve months are limiting the purchasing power of poor households. The cost of the expenditure basket for poor households is currently above the emergency threshold and all low and medium‐cost coping strategies have been exhausted. They are currently able to cover only about two‐thirds of their minimum daily calorie requirements (2,100kcls). These households are relying on assistance from relatives and neighbors, a social support system that is rapidly declining due to current economic conditions. This has led to high rates of malnutrition among the most vulnerable groups (children and women). Urban households are also less able to assist their relatives in the rural areas - a system of remittances which has existed for decades. Around 30 percent of the urban population (204,000 people) is currently at risk of food insecurity.

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