Soaring prices have helped fuel a food crisis in West and Central Africa, where nearly 55 million people will struggle to feed themselves in the coming months, UN humanitarian agencies warned on Friday.
During the June-August lean season, the number of people experiencing hunger has quadrupled in the last five years. Economic difficulties like double-digit inflation and stagnant local production have emerged as significant factors driving the crisis, in addition to ongoing conflicts in the region.
Among the worst-affected countries are Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali, where around 2,600 people in northern areas are likely to experience catastrophic hunger, said the World Food Programme, UN children’s agency Unicef , and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (Fao) in a joint statement.
“The time to act is now. We need all partners to step up … to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said Margot Vandervelden, WFP’s acting regional director for West Africa.
As a result of food shortages, malnutrition levels are alarmingly high, with an estimated 16.7 million children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition in West and Central Africa, according to the agencies.
The region’s significant reliance on food imports has exacerbated the situation, especially for nations grappling with high inflation rates like Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Policies should be introduced to boost and diversify local food production “to respond to the unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity,” said Robert Guei, the Fao’s Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa.