Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)
USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) collaborates with international, regional and national partners to provide timely and rigorous early warning and analysis of potential, emerging, and/or evolving food security issues in order to inform decisions and guide response.
Within the context of local livelihoods, FEWS NET professionals in Afghanistan monitor a range of relevant data sources (e.g., remote sensing imagery, price and trade data, nutrition information). This information informs a scenario-building process, which is used to project future food security outcomes. FEWS NET then uses a suite of decision support products to communicate this analysis to U.S. government, U.N., national government, and NGO decision makers. These products include regular briefings to senior USAID staff, partners, and relevant Afghan Government agencies, quarterly Food Security Outlooks, Food Security Outlook Updates, Key Message Updates, Afghanistan Seasonal Monitor, Central Asia Supply Market Outlook, Regional Price Watch, Weekly Weather Hazards, and Food Security Alerts. More information and details on FEWS NET’s products can be found at fews.net/central-Asia/Afghanistan.
FEWS NET staff also provides advisory support to regional and country-specific contingency and response planning efforts as well as in-depth studies related to livelihoods, markets and trade, and nutrition. FEWS NET also aims to strengthen regional and national capabilities in food security monitoring and analysis. This is done through pro-active, hands-on collaboration with partners and counterparts in the various stages of monitoring, assessment, analysis, and information dissemination. The goal is to share FEWS NET knowledge and methods with partners in local, regional, and global food security networks so together, network partners can achieve the global objective of assuring food security for the entire world. FEWS NET partners and participates in the Food Security and Agriculture Cluster, Nutrition Cluster, and IPC Technical Working Group.
FEWS NET Afghanistan has been instrumental in identifying vulnerable populations and providing critical information to mitigate the negative effects of possible food crises in Afghanistan and the region.