This rapid country-wide assessment was conducted in 2022-23 by UNDP in the framework of the Joint UN programme: Strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s resilience to address the impact of the Ukraine war on food security and incomes of most vulnerable groups.  

The assessment targeted 175 individuals and 250 households from the vulnerable populations with a goal to get a deeper understanding of the level of food deprivation among the vulnerable population groups, including those who fall “between the cracks” of the social protection system and are left to their own devices in relation to daily food intake.  

The assessment found that 32,6% of the surveyed define themselves as “food insecure”, due to frequent food deprivation, as well as that single parents and the elderly are the vulnerable groups with the highest levels of food insecurity. The General Food Security Index shows that 77,7% of the surveyed are at risk of food deprivation and food insecurity. Less than 3% of the surveyed children are at risk of food deprivation, which was also confirmed by the qualitative assessment showing that children come as a priority when distributing the available food in households/communities.

The assessment showed that food security demand by the most vulnerable needs to be matched with adequate policy action and improvements in food centres’ models, infrastructure and supply.