​​Food Security Indicators in Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda 

Overall objectives

The main objective of this activity is to generate food security indicators based on the UN-endorsed guidelines to process food data from Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCES). The work focuses on forcibly displaced persons and host communities in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda. The activity—which expands a previous collaboration between UNHCR and Statistics Norway for the production of similar indicators in Cameroon—aims to address long-standing data gaps in displacement settings, where comprehensive data on food consumption patterns are rarely available, and national surveys often fail to identify refugee populations.

This activity will produce robust, SDG‑aligned food security indicators that expand the evidence base for policymaking and improve the targeting of food assistance in displacement‑affected settings. These indicators will support the design and targeting of food assistance, to maximize the efficiency of scarce resources by informing development and humanitarian strategies. The work will also reinforce national statistical capacity by supporting the integration of displacement‑sensitive analysis into official data systems across the region.

Activity description

The activity will generate food insecurity indicators from existing datasets, drawing from  Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCES). The analysis will combine information on consumption patterns, dietary quality, and economic constraints to provide a clearer picture of the food security situation in displacement‑affected areas. 

In collaboration with Statistics Norway the following material will be prepared: 

1. Analytical cross-country report that includes five countries and examines overall patterns of food insecurity, their links to poverty, the factors shaping dietary outcomes and the effects of humanitarian assistance. 
2. One country factsheets for Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda each presenting key findings and a comparison between refugees and hosts. 
3. A brief note on the impact of cuts on food insecurity 

The outputs will be supported by a dissemination plan that includes the public release of the report and factsheets on UNHCR, Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement and partner websites. Additionally, presentations at regional and global events, along with targeted briefings and dedicated workshops, will ensure that the findings inform humanitarian and development planning. 

Engagement with partners

The activity will be implemented jointly by UNHCR, Statistics Norway and the National Statistical Offices of the five participating countries, with UNHCR and Statistics Norway leading coordination and analysis. Building on previous work, the NSO in Cameroon will contribute its experience to support peer‑to‑peer training. Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Organization will provide technical inputs, including nutrient conversion tables and guidance on food security standards, and the World Food Program together with UNHCR will support the interpretation of results for humanitarian programming. The activity will also engage with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to strengthen knowledge exchange and promote consistency across countries in the region. 

Background and Context

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to experience some of the highest levels of forced displacement globally, with nearly ten million refugees, representing around 23 per cent of the global refugee population. Almost half of the refugees reside in Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia and Uganda, where many live in areas already affected by deep poverty, limited access to basic services and compounded by severe pressure on food systems.  

Governments and humanitarian partners have intensified their efforts to respond, yet the ability to plan and target assistance remains limited by significant data gaps. National surveys often lack the information needed to distinguish refugees from hosts, and most humanitarian assessments do not capture detailed food consumption patterns. This hinders efforts to understand dietary adequacy, monitor vulnerabilities, and assess the effects of declining humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, a major shift occurred in 2024 when the United Nations Statistical Commission endorsed new international guidelines for processing food consumption data from Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys, creating an opportunity for national statistical systems to generate more robust food security indicators. 

Building on this progress, the current activity expands the methodology to Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda, enabling the production of harmonized, comparable evidence. The results will fill a critical information gap on food intake and vulnerabilities among refugees and host communities, strengthen national statistical capacity, and inform policy dialogue at national and regional levels. In doing so, the activity supports efforts to improve the targeting and effectiveness of humanitarian and development responses and contributes to broader progress toward achieving food security.