According to FEWS NET, the population urgently needs food aid in February 2025*
Expected population in need in February
2025 in the countries monitored by FEWS NET: 125-135 million
12% of the population
The total humanitarian food assistance needs in the countries monitored by FEWS NET in February 2025 are estimated as follows:
Higher than demand in February 2024
Higher than the five-year average
This report presents the FEWS NET projected population in need of urgent humanitarian food assistance and the highest expected IPC phase in each country monitored by FEWS NET seven months from now. The projected population in need of urgent humanitarian food assistance is also compared to the previous year and the most recent five-year average and categorised as follows: Higher, Similaror Lower; For some countries, an asterisk (marked *) indicates that the comparison is only approximate because FEWS NET country coverage has recently been expanded or adjusted. Brief descriptions are provided for countries with large populations affected by food insecurity, where high severity is expected, or where other important concerns require further context. Analytical confidence is lower in countries remotely monitored by FEWS NET (marked ‘RM’). Detailed country reports are available at www.fews.net.
The Population in Need (PIN) is the total number of people in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance. This figure reflects the total population estimated to be at crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse consequences of acute food insecurity, including those who receive humanitarian food assistance and those who do not. The IPC takes a different approach to estimating PIN.
Key messages
In February 2025, FEWS NET expects that the number of people in need of humanitarian food assistance will be highest in countries Yemen, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
When expressing the need for food assistance as a percentage of the total population of each country monitored by FEWS NET, FEWS NET assumes that the proportion of the population requiring humanitarian food assistance in South Sudan And Yemen, Where over 50 percent of the population of each country are most likely to need food aid, followed by Sudan And Zimbabwe, Where over 30 percent of the country’s population will most likely require food aid. Lebanon, Malawi, Somalia, Afghanistan and Haiti, The proportion of a country’s population most likely to need food aid is between 15 and 24 percent.
Of the estimated 125-135 million people in need in the countries monitored by FEWS NET, Yemen, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to contribute 10 percent or more of the total need for food aid. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, And South Sudan are expected to contribute 5-9 percent of the total need for food aid.
Compared to February 2024, FEWS NET expects the number of people needing food assistance to higher In Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Lesotho and Haiti. In contrast, FEWS NET expects that the number of people in need of food assistance lower In Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Afghanistan, Colombia and VenezuelaIn all other countries, the need for food aid is likely to be similar to last year.
