Famine scales

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Freshly-dug graves for child victims of the

Famine scales are tools used to define and measure the severity of famine conditions in different regions of the world. These scales are crucial for humanitarian organizations, governments, and researchers to assess the situation, plan interventions, and allocate resources effectively. The most widely recognized famine scale is the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which categorizes food insecurity and famine into five phases.

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

The IPC provides a framework for classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity. The phases are:

1. Phase 1: Minimal - Food insecurity is not significant.
2. Phase 2: Stressed - Households can meet basic food needs but are unable to afford some essential non-food expenditures without engaging in stress-coping strategies.
3. Phase 3: Crisis - Households have food consumption gaps that are reflected in very high or above usual acute malnutrition; they are marginally able to meet minimum food needs only by depleting essential livelihood assets or through crisis-coping strategies.
4. Phase 4: Emergency - Households face large gaps in food consumption, along with very high acute malnutrition and excess mortality.
5. Phase 5: Catastrophe/Famine - Households experience an extreme lack of food and other basic needs where starvation, death, and destitution are evident. To declare a famine, more than 20% of households must have an extreme lack of food, more than 30% of children must be acutely malnourished, and the death rate must exceed two persons per 10,000 persons per day.

Cadre Harmonisé

Another tool used in West Africa is the Cadre Harmonisé, which aligns closely with the IPC and provides analysis of food insecurity in the region. It also uses a phased approach to classify the severity of food and nutrition insecurity.

Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is a leading provider of early warning and analysis on food insecurity. Created by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1985, FEWS NET helps to prevent famine and food insecurity by providing timely and rigorous early warning and vulnerability information.

Challenges and Limitations

While famine scales are essential tools for measuring and understanding food insecurity, they also face challenges and limitations. These include the timeliness of data collection and analysis, the political sensitivity of famine declarations, and the complexity of translating technical classifications into effective action.

Conclusion

Famine scales like the IPC, Cadre Harmonisé, and FEWS NET play a critical role in the global fight against hunger and famine. By providing a standardized method for classifying the severity of food insecurity, these tools help to mobilize international aid and interventions where they are most needed.