Comprehensive Food Security & Vulnerability Analysis: Guidelines

WFP’s mandate to address hunger and food insecurity demands a comprehensive understanding of household food security situations, particularly in fragile nations, to enable an effective response. WFP food security/vulnerability assessment and analysis is a key tool for programme formulation, and at country level, the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) units provide regular and comprehensive analysis of the prevailing food security situation in a given country to guide WFP and its partners’ operational responses. Comprehensively addressing various aspects of food security ensures that WFP plans relevant and efficient interventions based on timely identification of the problem and thorough analysis of its impact on the affected population. This in-depth understanding ensures that WFP targets only those most in need. It also ensures that WFP’s response strategies (general food distributions, food for work, food for education, and food for health) are appropriate for saving lives and strengthening livelihoods, thereby reducing future vulnerability.