The gFSC Global Partners' Meeting, held on 27-28 November, welcomed participants from over 26 partner organizations and from 13 country clusters.The purpose of the meeting was to review the work of the gFSC during the second half of 2014 and to identify/ reaffirm priority areas for 2015-16, as well as to discuss strategically relevant food security topics.

Wednesday, 26 November, was designated for the face-to-face meetings of the gFSC Working Groups.

As a part of the discussion on the gFSC Strategic Framework and Work Plan for 2015-2016, the meeting also devoted time to three discussion groups to develop a concrete plan of action on the following topics:

• Building National Capacity in Preparedness and Contingency Planning
• Accountability to Affected Populations and People Centric Issues
• Resilience Agenda

The meeting report will be shared shortly with all partners and published on the FSC website.

The FSC Cluster Coordinator Training, organized in Rome 17-21 November, was very well received by participants and enabled them to better understand their roles and responsibilities in a level 3 emergency. The Training Report is available at this link on the FSC website.

The gFSC Information Management (IM) Tool Training was organized in Rome 9-12 December. The objective of the training was to teach the participants how to use the new web-based Information Management Tool in an effiort to make data collection, processing, and response analysis globally comparable between Food Security Clusters.  By producing operational reports and maps the IM tool can give visibility to gaps and overlaps of partner responses and ultimately help in avoiding duplication of humanitarian assistance, especially considering issues of food availability, access and utilization.  Consistent information sharing by partners will facilitate project tracking and monitoring and result in evidence based decision making for strategic intervention and improved implementation. More information about the IM Tool is  available at FSC website.

The gap between humanitarian needs and the resources available to meet them continues to grow.
This document sets out inter-agency appeals requesting $16.4 billion to assist 57.5 million people in 22 countries in 2015.

In 2014, three major crises with significant regional impact – Central African Republic, South Sudan and Syria – dominated humanitarian response efforts. These, in addition to Iraq, are the highest level (L3) crises declared by the humanitarian community. They will continue to require significant humanitarian assistance in 2015. For further information, please visit this link.

IPC analysis for November 2014 to March 2015 contains the following key messages:

• The food security situtation has deteriorated following recrudescence of the conflict since December 2013.
•  Livelihood change, particularly livestock and food production are affected by the crisis.
•  Humanitarian assistance is a key to support the most vulnerable households towards the lean season that in 2015 is expected to start in March, earlier than usual.
• The analysis shows that 32% of the rural population and 25% of the Bangui population are either in phase 3 (crisis) or phase 4 (emergency). As a result, an immediate response is necessary.
• Conducted during the harvest season, the present analysis shows an improved situation in comparison with the previous analysis conducted in April 2014 (lean season). However, there is a deterioration in comparison with the same period of the previous year, as a consequence of the cumulative effect of the crisis on livelihoods and food consumption.
• In total, IPC Technical Working Group has estimated that 1.5 million people are in a humanitarian phase, of which 1.3 million from the rural areas and about 0.2 million from the neighborhoods of  Bangui.

The Strategic Response Plan for 2015 has been finalized by the Food Security Cluster and its partners. Cluster objectives focus on providing life-saving food assistance; supporting agricultural activities by ensuring access of households to productive assets to restore their foods stocks (especially during the lean season); building households’ resilience through support to agricultural income generating activities and capacity building; promoting natural resource management through approaches fostering social cohesion; and coordinating partners’ food security interventions as well as information management and sharing. The total amount of the appeal for the Food Security sector in the Strategic Response Plan is USD 195 million (corresponding to 30% of the global appeal), targeting 1.2 million people.

• Food distributions for IDPs are ongoing throughout both northern and southern Iraq, with over 42,300 food parcels distributed to just over 39,000 families throughout the month of November.
• The Food Security Cluster in Dahuk is working to harmonise its response for new areas.
• The FSC is finalizing Standard Operating Procedures for returnees.
• Wheat producing families (both IDP and host communities) across Ninewa, Erbil, Dahuk, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Kirkuk, Anbar, and Wassit governorates, who were previously involved in agricultural activities, are in need of wheat seeds and fertilizers for the winter planting season.
• Veterinary vaccines were procured and delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture. These vaccines will be part of the national campaign for vaccination of herds benefiting conflict-affected rural households in Dahuk, Salah al-Din and Ninewa.
• FAO has assisted wheat producing families across Ninewa, Dahuk, Erbil, and Diyala with wheat seeds and fertilizers for the winter planting season.
• During the month of November, a total of 30,434 IDP families received the Public Distribution System (PDS) government ration. The distribution of commodities in all governorates was not consistent due to a range of obstacles. 4,077 families also received cash assistance to complete the ration.
• There is an increased need, but limited funding for, assistance to farmers and pastoralists in conflict-affected areas due to recent escalation and displacements (external and within governorates) in Anbar, Kirkuk, and Wassit. Very limited access to information about the food security situation in some of the conflict areas, such as Anbar, is constraining humanitarian aid delivery. (Source: Iraq Crisis Situation Report No. 24 (6 December – 12 December)

Food Security Humanitarian Needs Overview

• Based on available information, it is estimated that around 9.8 million people are in need of various levels of food, agriculture, and livelihood-related assistance in Syria.
• Of the total people in need in the sector, it is estimated that 6.8 million people live in high priority districts where the food security indicators are estimated to be affected most negatively due to population movements, conflicts, breakdown of markets etc.
• Groups most vulnerable to food insecurity include IDPs and conflict affected host communities, the unemployed and urban poor, casual labourers, and small-scale farmers and herders. Among IDPs, groups most susceptible to food shortages were those IDPs living in collective shelters.
• Of the estimated 560,000 Palestinian refugees registered in Syria, 462,000 require food assistance.
• The humanitarian and displacement crisis is also considered to have exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities among certain population groups, including children (in particular, those below five), female-headed households (which often struggle to access both food assistance and livelihoods), the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with chronical diseases.
• The SRP for 2015 is currently being developed.

• An estimated 3.3 million people have been targeted for emergency livelihoods support and 2.4 million targeted for improved access to food by December.
• Storage capacities and facilities for pre-positioning supplies for next year are being strengthened.
• Livestock vaccinations have been conducted in Cueibet, Greater Yirol, Rumbek Center and East counties in Lakes State.
• The training on Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease to sensitize partners was conducted in Central Equatoria State.
• Food distributions were completed in Bauw, Gai Reang, Kiechkuon, Mogok, Old Fangak, Wahjtak and Walgak. Teams were also deployed in Duk Padiet, Haat, Pieri, Gum and Mabior/Maar areas.
• Food assistance has been distributed to areas in the Greater Equatoria region targeting vulnerable groups. Community mobilization and consultation process for the Food-for-assets program was ongoing in these states.
• Flooded waters are still causing access challenges in some areas. (Source: OCHA South Sudan Crisis Situation Report No. 65 as of 5 Dec 2014).
• South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2015 has been published.

• The Liberia Food Security Cluster (previously the Food Security and Nutrition Task Force) was officially activated on 12 September 2014.
• The FSC was established to strengthen coordination among food security partners to support the government and UNMEER response to the EVD.The FSC is chaired by MOA, Co-Led FAO and WFP with 38 partner institutions.
• Although there is no formal Strategic Response Plan for clusters,  the FSC is developing a 6 month Plan of Action in  close collaboration with other clusters and sectors, in particular the Early Recovery and Livelihood Cluster, Health, Protection, WASH and the Nutrition sector.

The Cadre Harmonisé Analysis reveals the following key findings:

• Food consumption: Low level of food consumption
• Evolution of livelihoods: The northern parts of the country are severely under strain due to insecurity and the unusual death of livestock.
• Nutrition: Current nutritional analyses reveal that global acute malnutrition rates exceed the threshold.
• Mortality rate: overall in minimum phase.

• DFID has launched a new approach to "Promoting Innovation and Evidence-Based Approaches to Building Resilience and Responding to Humanitarian Crises."
• For highlights on the CFS 41 Fifth Annual Plenary Session, please visit this link.
• The FAO Quarterly Early Warning Bulletin for Food and Agriculture, covering the period October - December  2014, integrates information on threats to food security and the food chain by region and by country.
• Emergency Nutrition Network has published the 48th edition of Field Exchange that documents programming experiences and learning on the nutrition response to the Syria crisis.
• EU ECHO has inroduced a new resilience marker.
• The first issue of EU ECHO Gender and Age Newsletter can be found here.

• FAO is looking for a fixed-term Operations Officer (P3) in Madagascar. More information in English and French. Closing date: 17 December 2014.
• UNHCR is looking for a Nutrition Officer. Closing date: 11 January 2015.
• The Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) is looking for a Disability Program Officer. Closing date: 27th December 2014.

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