Household food insecurity status in Gulina District, zone 4 of conflict affected Afar Regional State, Northeast Ethiopia

Investigating the Household Food insecurity situation of conflict affected communities has increasingly become a widespread issue around the world. Gulina District, situated within Zone 4 of the Afar region, faced significant challenges related to the impacts of conflict, which severely affect household food security. The study aimed to assess the household food security status in the conflict-affected Gulina District. The study used a cross-sectional study design using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Data was collected from 366 randomly selected household heads. Food Consumption Score (FCS), Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were among the metrics utilized in the survey questionnaire to evaluate the level of household food security status. Employing HFIAS, 82.8% of households are food insecure; of these, 61.5% and 21.3% are classified as mildly and moderately food insecure, respectively. This demonstrated the problem of household food insecurity's seeming prevalence. Moreover, the HDDS and FCS survey result show that the study area is mainly characterized by the high consumption of milk and relatively moderate intake of staples and animal protein, but the low consumption of fruits and vegetables due to the pastoral nature of the community.