The IPC Acute Food Insecurity (IPC AFI) classification provides strategically relevant information to decision makers that focuses on short-term objectives to prevent, mitigate or decrease severe food insecurity that threatens lives or livelihoods. In particular, the IPC Acute Food Insecurity classification provides:
- Differentiation between different levels of severity of acute food insecurity, classifying units of analysis in five distinct phases: (1) Minimal/None, (2) Stressed, (3) Crisis, (4) Emergency, (5) Catastrophe/Famine. Each of these phases has important and distinct implications for where and how best to intervene, and therefore influences priority response objectives;
- A snapshot of the current severity of acute food insecurity situations as well as a projection of future conditions. This information over two time periods provides stakeholders with an early warning statement for proactive decision-making;
- A food insecurity situation analysis that combines international standards - including food consumption levels, livelihoods changes, nutritional status, and mortality - and triangulates them with several contributing factors (food availability, access, utilization and stability, and vulnerability and hazards) analyzed within local contexts; and
- Identification of key drivers of acute food insecurity.
The IPC Acute Food Insecurity classification is conducted according to the four functions of the IPC, including: 1) consensus building, 2) methodical evaluation, review and convergence of all evidence available against global thresholds, 3) strategic communication for action, and 4) quality assurance.
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IPC Technical Manual Version 3.0