Table 1.

Food security dimensions and examples of potential barriers and facilitators for migrants on the move

Dimension	Sub dimension	Potential Barriers and Facilitators to Food Security
		Barrier	Facilitator
Food availability “Whether or not food is actually or potentially physically present, including production, food reserves, markets and transportation, and wild foods”		Limited availability of foods consistent with habitual dietary patterns, restrictions or cultural needs	Sufficient national and state-level food supply Presence of humanitarian assistance Understanding (by humanitarian actors) of need for culturally adequate food
Food accessibility “Access to adequate resources (set of commodities over which a person can establish command given the legal, political, economic and social arrangements of the community) for acquiring appropriate foods for a nutritious diet”	Physical access	Travel through unpopulated areas Travel in confined or clandestine transport spaces (e.g., trains, boats, buses) Lack of autonomy in food selection and preparation (e.g., when kidnapped or trafficked) Poor reception within temporary host community (e.g., discrimination)	Availability of humanitarian assistance (through organizations or individuals) Potential for multiple daily meals Access to hot meals Access to portable/packaged food items for easy storage during travel (e.g., backpack kits) Awareness of culturally appropriate food distribution methods (e.g., not requiring public queues if this is considered shameful in the culture of recipients) Use of psychosocially informed approaches to food assistance (i.e., promoting empowerment by providing cash or kitchen ingredients/ facilities, as opposed to prepared or packaged food)
	Economic access	Lack of financial solvency High food prices Organized crime (e.g., theft, bribes, evasion strategies) Interdependence within travel unit (e.g., illness within unit affects all members)	Sufficient financial solvency Availability of humanitarian assistance offering free or reduced-price food Interdependence within travel unit (e.g., sharing food within the unit)
Food utilization “Usage, and biological maximization of the consumption of adequate nutrition and energy”		Inadequate hygiene and sanitation Limited autonomy/agency in food selection/preparation/distribution Inadequate food safety Inadequate balance/variety of food Limited consideration of cultural aspects of food preparation	Presence of humanitarian assistance Adequate hygiene and sanitation Facilities which allow food safety Potential for balance/variety
Stability “Stability of all dimensions, thus ensuring food security at all times”		Weather conditions Political prioritization of anti-migrant policies (e.g., to prevent transit or temporary residence of migrants) Lack of employment opportunities Lack of economic, material or human resources in humanitarian assistance settings Relatively high food prices Specific socioeconomic complexities in areas of transit (e.g., endemic violence, poverty) Emergency situations (e.g., war, epidemic, natural disaster)	Political priorities of government (e.g., local or regional or national) of transit locations (e.g., prioritization of international accords to protect and welcome migrants) Potential for temporary migratory status Employment opportunities Relatively low food prices -Stability of economic, material and human resources in humanitarian assistance settings

Created by the authors using dimensions and subdimensions as described by the FAO [13, 21], in addition to anecdotal experiences and scientific articles [12, 16, 25, 32, 34, 35, 44, 45, 53, 61, 62, 64–67]

Migrants on the move are defined as the subcategory of migrants in transit who are in active mobility (they may travel on foot, by overland or water transportation (such as buses, cars, trains or boats) or through any mixture of these modalities [12, 14–18]