Description
Armed conflict remains a pervasive phenomenon in African countries. Besides causing human and physical casualties, conflicts lead to famine and forced migration. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the literature on the relationship between social support and food insecurity among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). While most studies have emphasized the protective role of social support against food insecurity, a few have suggested the absence of an association or even a positive correlation between social support and food insecurity. To our knowledge, no study has examined the potential link between the variations in the amount of social support and food insecurity among IDPs. Therefore, the primary objective of our study is to explore whether variations in the amount of support received are associated with household-level food insecurity among IDPs.
This study used data from 1043 households from the Burkina Faso 2021 high-frequency telephone survey of IDPs. A random selection was made from a unique database of displaced persons registered by the Conseil National de Secours d'Urgence et de Réhabilitation. As recommended by the FAO, we assessed food insecurity status using the Rasch model. Logistic regression was also used to examine the association between the level of social support and food insecurity, controlling for socio-economic factors at the household level.
The results show that 76% of IDP households are food insecure, but there are wide variations. In addition, most households did not receive any support in the last month. The percentage of IDP households receiving support is 42% for food aid, 14% for family transfers, 10% for non-family transfers, and 2% for remittances. However, some 14% experienced a decrease in food assistance compared to the previous month. This percentage is 7% for family transfers.
Furthermore, results from logistic regressions suggest that variation in social support is related to food insecurity, controlling for household socio-economic characteristics. Experiencing a decrease in food aid (OR=2.4, p<0.01) and transfers from relatives (OR=2.6, p<0.05) significantly increased the odds of being food insecure. Furthermore, stable levels of food aid (OR=0.38, p<0.001) and non-kin transfers (OR=0.37, p<0.05) over time are associated with significantly lower odds of being food insecure. No significant associations were found between cash transfers, in-kind transfers, remittances, and food security status.
Our results show that half of the IDP households in Burkina Faso were food insecure. This study shows a positive association between food security and social support, such as food aid and transfers to no relatives, where the support received remains stable over time. However, a decrease in food aid and transfers from relatives exacerbates food insecurity among IDP households compared to those who did not receive aid.
In conclusion, the support received certainly has a protective effect against food insecurity, but this effect is not systematically guaranteed. As social support is not inexhaustible, sustainable solutions need to be found, such as building resilience through the creation of various income-generating activities.
| Contact Geneva Health Forum | I would like to receive information about the GHF 2024 conference and other GHF activities / Je souhaite recevoir des informations sur la conférence GHF 2024 et d'autres activités du GHF. |
|---|
