Between June and September 2026, an estimated 222,000 people (18 percent of the population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above, Crisis or worse). This marks a 2‑percentage‑point increase compared with the same period last year, rising from 16 percent (193,000 people) to 18 percent (222,000 people). The deterioration is driven mainly by irregular rainfall, persistently high food prices, reduced household incomes, and livestock disease.