The activation of an FSC may be recommended when the following IASC criteria apply:
- Response and coordination gaps exist due to a sharp deterioration or significant change in the food security situation.
- Existing national response or coordination capacity (financial, human, technical) on national and sub-national level is unable to meet needs in a manner that respects humanitarian principles, due to the scale of need, the number of food security actors involved, the need for a more complex multi-sectoral approach, or other constraints.