IPC Acute Food Insecurity Reference Table for Household Groups

In April 2011, FEWS NET transitioned its classification system from the FEWS NET Food Insecurity Severity Scale to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification's (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity Reference Table for Household Groups. The IPC is a tool for food security analysis and decision-support. The IPC Acute Food Insecurity Reference Table for Household Groups is a standardized scale that integrates food security, nutrition, and livelihood information into a common classification of the severity of acute food insecurity outcomes, and can be used to highlight priority areas and populations in need of emergency response that have been identified based on food security analysis.

The IPC is a global partnership to develop and promote a common approach for food security analysis and is led by the following agencies: CARE International, European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC JRC), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), USAID/FEWS NET, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK/US, and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). FEWS NET has actively worked with the IPC in the development of IPC version 2, which is scheduled for release around July 2011. The development of IPC version 2 has resolved most of the differences that existed between FEWS NET's scale and IPC version 1.1, and resulted in the adoption of the IPC version 2 by FEWS NET.

Achieving statistically comparable measures of food insecurity is not currently possible, nor is it necessarily required for early warning purposes. Therefore, FEWS NET and the IPC aim to support the development of the most comparable, method-neutral analysis possible to support decision-making and planning at different levels. FEWS NET uses the latest available assessment and monitoring data, as well as baseline and historical data, to inform the scenario development process upon which classification is based. A consensus-based process engaging relevant experts in each country is conducted to determine the appropriate level of food insecurity to assign to each area, within the context of key reference outcome indicators of the IPC.

IPC Acute Food Insecurity Reference Table for Household Groups
 
Phase 1: No Acute Food Insecurity
Phase 2:
Stressed
Phase 3:
Crisis
Phase 4:
Emergency
Phase 5:
Catastrophe
Summary Description Household groups do not experience short term instability;
-OR-
Household groups experience short term instability but are able to meet basic food needs without atypical coping strategies		 Household group experiences short term instability;
-AND-
Household group food consumption is reduced but minimally adequate without having to engage in irreversible coping strategies		 Household group experiences short term instability;
-AND-
Household group has significant food consumption gaps with high or above usual acute malnutrition;
-OR-
Household group is marginally able to meet minimum food needs only with irreversible coping strategies such as liquidating livelihood assets or diverting expenses from essential nonfood items		 Household group experiences short term instability;
-AND-
Household group has extreme food consumption gaps resulting in very high acute malnutrition or excess mortality;
-OR-
Household group has extreme loss of livelihood assets that will likely lead to food consumption gaps		 Household group experiences short term instability;
-AND-
Household group has near complete lack of food and/or other basic needs where starvation, death, and destitution are evident
 
Phase 1: No Acute Food Insecurity
Phase 2:
Stressed
Phase 3:
Crisis
Phase 4:
Emergency
Phase 5:
Catastrophe
  Contributing Factors
Hazards & Vulnerability None or minimal effects of hazards and vulnerability causing short-term instability Effects of hazards and vulnerability causing short-term instability and stressing livelihoods and food consumption Effects of hazards and vulnerability causing short-term instability resulting in loss of assets and/or significant food consumption deficits Effects of hazards and vulnerability causing short-term instability resulting in large loss of livelihood assets and/ or food consumption deficits Effects of hazards and vulnerability causing short-term instability resulting in near complete collapse of livelihood assets and/or massive food consumption deficits
Food Availability, Access, Utilization, Stability NDC Stressed, borderline adequate, and short-term unstable Inadequate and short-term unstable Extremely inadequate and short-term unstable Effectively no availability, access, and utilization; volatile
Human Water Requirement from Improved Source NDC Water: >= 15 liters pppd, unstable Water: 7.5 to 15 liters pppd; unstable Water: 4 to 7.5 liters pppd, unstable Water: < 4 liters pppd, unstable
 
Phase 1: No Acute Food Insecurity
Phase 2:
Stressed
Phase 3:
Crisis
Phase 4:
Emergency
Phase 5:
Catastrophe
  Household Outcomes
Food Consumption (Quantity & Quality) NDC Quantity: Minimally adequate (2,100kcal pp/day) & unstable
Quality: Minimally adequate micro-nutrients & unstable
HDDS: Reduced and unstable dietary diversity but meeting most nutrient needs
FCS: Acceptable consumption
HHS: None or slight (scores 0-1)
CSI: = Reference, but unstable
HEA: Small or moderate Livelihood Protection Deficit		 Quantity: Significant gap -OR- 2,100 kcal pp/day via asset stripping
Quality: Significant lack of micro-nutrients -OR- adequate micronutrients pp/day via asset stripping
HDDS: Acute dietary diversity deficit limiting key micronutrients
FCS: Borderline consumption
HHS: Moderate (scores 2-3)
CSI: > Reference and increasing
HEA: Substantial Livelihood Protection Deficit -OR- Small Survival Deficit <20%		 Quantity: Extreme gap; much below 2,100kcal pp/day
Quality: Extreme lack of micro-nutrients
HDDS: Acute dietary diversity deficit limiting key micronutrients and macronutrients
FCS: Poor consumption
HHS: Severe (scores 4-6)
CSI: Significantly> reference
HEA: Survival Deficit		 Quantity & Quantity: Effectively complete gap
HDDS: Extreme dietary deficit of both micro and macronutrients
FCS: [Below] poor consumption
HHS: Severe (6)
CSI: Far> reference
HEA: Survival Deficit>20%
Livelihood Change (Assets & Strategies) NDC Livelihood: Stressed
Coping Strategies: 'Insurance Strategies'		 Livelihood: Accelerated depletion
Coping Strategies: 'Crisis Strategies'		 Livelihood: Irreversible depletion
Coping Strategies: 'Distress Strategies'		 Livelihood: Near complete collapse
Coping Strategies: Effectively no ability to cope
Nutrition (Due to Food Deficits) NDC Presence of mildly acutely malnourished child and/or mother Presence of moderately acutely malnourished child and/or mother Presence of severely acutely malnourished child and/or mother Presence of several severely acutely malnourished children and/or adolescents/adults
Mortality NDC Unchanged Marginal increase; unstable Significant increase Death is evident in most households
 
Phase 1: No Acute Food Insecurity
Phase 2:
Stressed
Phase 3:
Crisis
Phase 4:
Emergency
Phase 5:
Catastrophe
  Area Contextual Outcomes
Nutrition (Due to Food Deficits) NDC Wasting Rate: 3-10%, unstable
BMI < 18.5 Rates: 10-20%, unstable		 Wasting Rate: 10-15% -OR- > usual & increasing; or oedema
BMI < 18.5 Rates: 20-40%, 1.5 x greater than reference		 Wasting Rate: 15-30% -OR- > usual & increasing; oedema
BMI < 18.5 Rates: > 40%		 Wasting Rate: > 30% -AND/OR- oedema
BMI < 18.5 Rates: far> 40%
Death Rate NDC CDR: < 0.5/10,000/day, unstable
U5DR: <= 1/10,000/day, unstable		 CDR: 0.5-1/10,000/day, unstable
U5DR: 1-2/10,000/day, unstable		 CDR: 1-2/10,000/day -OR- > 2x reference
U5DR: 2-4/10,000/day		 CDR: > 2/10,000/day
U5DR: > 4/10,000/day
 
Phase 1: No Acute Food Insecurity
Phase 2:
Stressed
Phase 3:
Crisis
Phase 4:
Emergency
Phase 5:
Catastrophe
  General Action Framework
Cross-Cutting Objectives:
   1) Mitigate immediate outcomes,
   2) Support livelihoods, and
   3) Address underlying causes		 Monitoring Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Preparedness, prevention, and mitigation
  • Reduce vulnerability and build resilience
  • Complimentary sectoral support
  • Close monitoring
  • Advocacy
 Protect Livelihoods
  • Livelihood support programmes and limited resource transfer to increase food availability, access, and/or utilization
  • Complimentary sectoral support
  • Close monitoring
  • Advocacy
 Save Lives & Livelihoods
  • Resource transfer and livelihood support programmes to increase food availability, access, and/or utilization
  • Complimentary sectoral support
  • Close monitoring
  • Advocacy
 Prevent Total Collapse
  • Critically urgent protection of human lives
  • Comprehensive assistance with basic needs (e.g. food, water, shelter, sanitation, health, etc.)
  • Immediate legal interventions and political-economic negotiations, as necessary
  • Close monitoring
  • Advocacy

Note: BMI = body mass index; CDR = crude death rate; CSI = coping strategies index (developed by CARE and the World Food Programme); FCS = food consumption scale; HDDS=household dietary diversity score; HEA = household economy analysis; HH = household; HHS = household hunger scale; NDC = not a defining characteristic; pppd = per person per day; U5DR = under five crude death rate

 

 
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