This study assesses post-cyclone food consumption pattern and food
security status of households, and explores influences of various socioeconomic
variables on food consumption and security status. For this study
331 out of 778 households living in three different villages devastated by
cyclone Sidr were selected. A questionnaire survey was conducted at
household level following simple random sampling procedure. Both
descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyze the data. This study
found that food consumption of households is highly centered on rice intake.
Such rice consumption reduces 46.62 percent from normal time to postcyclone
period and this reduction is directly linked with location, gender,
education, income, occupation and land ownerships of household heads.
Besides, pulses, vegetable, potato, fish, egg, milk and cooking oil consumption
are also significantly varied with various socio-economic variables. However,
consumption of fruit, meat and mustered oil is mostly similar irrespective of
location and above mentioned socio-economic variables. This study also found
that 20.5 percent households are absolutely food insecure and 17.2 percent
are hardcore food insecure. Such food insecurity significantly varies
according to village location, gender, age, occupation, income and land
ownerships of household head. Findings of this study suggest that food
insecurity is more prevalent in Island relative to Inland and Shoreline villages.
Similarly, lower income, landless, wage labour and women headed households
are most vulnerable to food insecurity in post-cyclone period. Based on
findings, this study advocates that improving socio-economic status is
prerequisite to reduce the prevalence of post-cyclone food insecurity. In this
regard, Island, women headed, illiterate, landless, absolute and hardcore poor
should get priority for social safety net program and income generating
activities to reduce food insecurity for longer period of time.