The United Nations agency says double-digit inflation and stagnant local production are the main drivers of the hunger crisis.
Nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves in the coming months as soaring prices fuel a food crisis, a United Nations agency has warned.
The number of people facing hunger during the low season from June to August has quadrupled in the past five years, the World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations children's agency UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a joint statement on Friday. announced. .
The report said that apart from recurrent conflicts in the region, economic challenges such as double-digit inflation and stagnant local production were key drivers of the crisis.
He said Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Mali would be the most affected.
The United Nations agency said prices for key staple grains continue to rise by 10% to more than 100% across the region compared to five-year averages.
The situation is particularly worrying in northern Mali, where around 2,600 people could face catastrophic starvation, it added.
“The time to act is now. All partners need to step up to prevent the situation from getting out of control,” said WFP Deputy Regional Director for West Africa, Margot Vandervelden.
“We need to invest more in building resilience and long-term solutions for West Africa’s future,” she added.
malnourished children
Food shortages are also causing “alarmingly high” levels of malnutrition, with children severely affected.
The agency says eight out of 10 children between the ages of six and 23 months are not getting the minimum amount of food they need for optimal growth and development.
Approximately 16.7 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, and more than two out of three households do not have access to healthy food.
Gilles Fanineux, UNICEF Regional Director, said: “For children in the region to reach their full potential, girls and boys need to receive adequate nutrition and care, live in a healthy and safe environment, and receive adequate care. We need to make sure that they are given opportunities to learn.” .
“To make a lasting difference in children's lives, we need to consider the whole child and strengthen education, health, water and sanitation, food and social protection systems,” he added.
The region is heavily reliant on food imports, making the strain even more acute, especially for countries grappling with high inflation, such as Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Robert Guei, FAO's regional coordinator for West Africa, said policies should be introduced to promote and diversify local food production “in response to unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity”.