Food insecurity: UN calls for urgent, long-lasting action in Africa
The quantity of starving individuals in West and Central Africa is anticipated to hit a record peak of 48 million individuals (including 9 million minors) if prompt and effective measures to tackle this predicament are not implemented.
Over 35 million individuals (including 6.7 million minors) in the area, or about 8% of the evaluated population, are presently unable to fulfill their fundamental food and nutritional requirements, according to the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security assessment.
Alarmingly, 25,500 individuals will experience catastrophic hunger (phase 5) from June to August 2023 in areas affected by conflict in the Lake Chad Basin and the Liptako-Gourma region (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger). During this season, families find it challenging to satisfy their basic dietary necessities until the upcoming harvest as their food supplies from the last crop are exhausted.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called on governments across the region to amplify support and investments in food security and nutrition initiatives that bolster community resilience and protect lives in a collaborative statement at the Network for the Prevention of Food Crisis in West Africa’s annual gathering in Lomé (Togo).
“The outlook for food and nutrition security in 2023 is extremely concerning, and this should serve as the final wake-up call for regional governments and their partners,” stated Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa Region.
“Enhancing the resilience of communities must become a singular and collective priority for all of us if we wish to avert this crisis before it becomes irreversible,” Nikoi further remarked.
Food insecurity and malnutrition remain prevalent and are extending from the Sahel towards coastal nations due to ongoing insecurity, climate disruptions, soaring food costs, the economic impact of COVID-19, and the ramifications of the conflict in Ukraine. This is despite favorable harvest forecasts, improved market conditions, and elevated projections of cereal output throughout the region.
According to the Cadre Harmonisé evaluation, food insecurity surged by 20% in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo in the last quarter of 2022 compared to the same period the previous year. In Nigeria alone, 25 million men, women, and children are experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity, placing them at risk of slipping into a critical food security situation without an immediate response.
“The Sahel is on the verge of a full-blown disaster; we are witnessing food scarcity in most nations, and fertilizer costs are escalating,” remarked Robert Guei, FAO’s Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa.
“This may negatively affect next year’s harvests and exacerbate an already dire situation for numerous rural communities. We must take action now to bolster rural livelihoods before it’s too late,” Guei added.
Notwithstanding efforts by governments and their allies, acute malnutrition among children under 5 remains a pressing issue, particularly in Nigeria and the Sahel region. Rates in specific areas of Sénégal (Louga and Matam), Mauritania (Gorgol and Guidimaka), north-eastern Nigeria (Yobe and Borno states), and Niger surpass the 15 percent emergency threshold (Dogon and Doutchi).
Moreover, many areas surrounding the Lake Chad basin (Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) and border regions between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger exhibit acute malnutrition rates exceeding 10% globally. One fundamental cause of acute malnutrition among children under five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers across the region is conflict. Additional contributing factors include population displacement, restricted access to essential social services such as health care, education, water, hygiene, and sanitation, and high costs of nutritious diets.
“The latest statistics reveal persistently unacceptable levels of severe wasting for children in several countries within West and Central Africa, leaving a devastating mark on the region’s future,” stated Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
“We need to enhance treatment and place far greater emphasis on preventing child malnutrition through a multi-sectoral strategy to reach every child,” Poirier added.
The three UN agencies and their collaborators commit to addressing this unprecedented food and nutrition emergency by employing a robust food systems approach, which encompasses numerous integrated programs providing food, nutrition, health, water, hygiene, and sanitation support aimed at children, women, and other vulnerable populations.
FAO, UNICEF, and WFP will intensify and expand their ongoing support to national social protection systems to ensure they can respond to shocks while considering the nutritional necessities of infants, young children, adolescents, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. The three UN agencies will also scale up their medium to long-term strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities affected by crises while encouraging peacebuilding and harmonious coexistence. These initiatives will build upon existing systems at local, national, and regional levels with full involvement from local communities.
Through cash-based transfers and supplementary services, a collaborative social protection program managed by UNICEF and WFP has been assisting 1.8 million individuals in Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. Additionally, both agencies support governments in refining their social protection frameworks, including social registries, national policies, and connections to early warning systems. In Burkina Faso, FAO aids 620,000 individuals in enhancing their agricultural production capacity and safeguarding their livelihoods. Via cash-based transfers and supplementary services aimed at 408,000 individuals in the country, FAO also supports the social protection network.
