258 000 Basotho face acute food insecurity
Written by Mohale FM on October 20, 2025
More than 258,000 people living in Lesotho’s rural areas experienced high levels of
acute food insecurity between May and September 2025.
This is according to the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) Acute Food
Insecurity Analysis covering May 2025 to March 2026, published by IPC Global
Support on 9th October this year.
The analysis shows that seven of the 10 districts assessed were classified under IPC
Phase 2 (stressed), while the remaining three districts — Mafeteng, Maseru, and
Mohale’s Hoek — were in Phase 3 (crisis). Acute food insecurity is classified as IPC
Phase 3 or above, which means food insecurity would have reached crisis levels or
worse.
The report attributes the current food insecurity to dry spells and high
temperatures during the cropping stage, along with livestock diseases, high food
prices, and reduced income opportunities.
The report stated that the onset of rains that started in late October to November
2024 enabled the timely start of planting in the lowlands. However, the country
experienced dry spells and high temperatures at the crucial growth stage between
December 2024 and January 2025. It further indicated that from November 2025,
poorer populations are expected to start experiencing food deficit.
