The poorest households are the most vulnerable and in many instances this vulnerability is compounded by political instability and conflict. In the case of food insecurity, despite some progress, one billion people are still suffering from hunger and the issue is particularly acute in drought-prone areas where most of the population depends directly on agriculture and pastoralism. The response of the international community and affected countries to the crises in the Horn and the Sahel has shown significant progress in the capacity to address the consequences of the crises. However they have also underlined the primordial importance of prevention (stopping a crisis from happening) and preparedness (ensuring that an individual, a household, a country, or a region is ready to manage the effects of an adverse event).