Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia
Armed conflict remains a significant global issue, with several studies highlighting its detrimental impact on the affected communities, making it a critical area of research. This study aimed to examine the effects of prolonged armed conflict on food security among urban households in Tigray, Ethio...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet Yibrah Hagos Gebresilassie Mekonen Aregai Gebreselassie |
| author_facet | Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet Yibrah Hagos Gebresilassie Mekonen Aregai Gebreselassie |
| author_sort | Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet |
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| description | Armed conflict remains a significant global issue, with several studies highlighting its detrimental impact on the affected communities, making it a critical area of research. This study aimed to examine the effects of prolonged armed conflict on food security among urban households in Tigray, Ethiopia, and to examine their coping mechanisms. Primary data were collected from 740 urban households between May and June 2024. The Food Insecurity Access Scale (FIAS), Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and Food Consumption Score (FCS) were employed to assess the levels of food security, while the Livelihood Coping Strategy Index (LCSI) was used to identify coping strategies. The findings revealed that female-headed households were more affected by food insecurity than male-headed households. FIAS (FIES) scores indicated that 17% (2%) of households were food-secure, with 20% (25%) mildly, 35% (32%) moderately, and 29% (30%) severely food-insecure. The FCS analysis showed that 52% of households had poor food consumption, 33% were borderline, and 16% were acceptable. The findings show that 39% of urban households experienced hunger in the post-conflict period. Stress-level strategies are the most widely adopted coping mechanisms. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted policy interventions that address the specific vulnerabilities of female-headed households and ensure the development of sustainable coping strategies to mitigate the long-term effects of food insecurity in war-affected urban settings. This study offers novel insights into the urban dimensions of food insecurity and coping strategies in post-conflict settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d07829e846fc40179442da26f225aec4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-7099 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Economies |
| spelling | doaj-art-d07829e846fc40179442da26f225aec42025-01-24T13:29:59ZengMDPI AGEconomies2227-70992025-01-01131710.3390/economies13010007Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, EthiopiaHafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet0Yibrah Hagos Gebresilassie1Mekonen Aregai Gebreselassie2Department of Pedagogy, Religion, and Social Studies, Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 5063 Bergen, NorwayDepartment of Economics, Aksum University, Axum 1010, Tigray, EthiopiaDepartment of Economics, Aksum University, Axum 1010, Tigray, EthiopiaArmed conflict remains a significant global issue, with several studies highlighting its detrimental impact on the affected communities, making it a critical area of research. This study aimed to examine the effects of prolonged armed conflict on food security among urban households in Tigray, Ethiopia, and to examine their coping mechanisms. Primary data were collected from 740 urban households between May and June 2024. The Food Insecurity Access Scale (FIAS), Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and Food Consumption Score (FCS) were employed to assess the levels of food security, while the Livelihood Coping Strategy Index (LCSI) was used to identify coping strategies. The findings revealed that female-headed households were more affected by food insecurity than male-headed households. FIAS (FIES) scores indicated that 17% (2%) of households were food-secure, with 20% (25%) mildly, 35% (32%) moderately, and 29% (30%) severely food-insecure. The FCS analysis showed that 52% of households had poor food consumption, 33% were borderline, and 16% were acceptable. The findings show that 39% of urban households experienced hunger in the post-conflict period. Stress-level strategies are the most widely adopted coping mechanisms. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted policy interventions that address the specific vulnerabilities of female-headed households and ensure the development of sustainable coping strategies to mitigate the long-term effects of food insecurity in war-affected urban settings. This study offers novel insights into the urban dimensions of food insecurity and coping strategies in post-conflict settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/1/7conflict-induced crisescoping strategiesfood insecurityhungerurban households |
| spellingShingle | Hafte Gebreselassie Gebrihet Yibrah Hagos Gebresilassie Mekonen Aregai Gebreselassie Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia Economies conflict-induced crises coping strategies food insecurity hunger urban households |
| title | Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia |
| title_full | Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia |
| title_short | Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies in War-Affected Urban Settings of Tigray, Ethiopia |
| title_sort | food insecurity and coping strategies in war affected urban settings of tigray ethiopia |
| topic | conflict-induced crises coping strategies food insecurity hunger urban households |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/1/7 |
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