Armed conflict and household food insecurity: impacts and coping strategies in the conflict-affected rural settings of Tigray, Ethiopia

The armed conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, commencing in November 2020, has triggered a profound setback of food security gains in rural areas, necessitating rigorous investigation. This study examines the severity, determinants and coping mechanisms of war-induced food insecurity among rural households, employing a cross-sectional survey of 1060 households. The Food Insecurity Access Scale (FIAS) and Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) revealed that 57% of households experienced food insecurity, with 21.86% exhibiting severe levels, while the Local Coping Strategy Index (LCSI) exhibited prevalent adaptive responses. Conflict-induced factors – displacement, destruction of agricultural assets and market disintegration – constituted primary drivers, significantly elevating vulnerability in directly affected households. Resilience was enhanced by access to irrigation, diversified income streams and livestock ownership, with social protection mechanisms, such as the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and humanitarian assistance, mitigating impacts. However, coping strategies, including asset divestiture, migration and dietary curtailment, while facilitating immediate survival, compromised long-term stability. effects of conflict on rural food systems, distinct from prior urban-centric analyses and underscore the imperative for targeted interventions. Recommendations encompass irrigation development, agricultural enhancement, credit facilitation and expanded safety nets to foster sustainable post-conflict recovery, contributing empirical insights to the nexus of conflict and food security.