UN Warns of Nearly 55 Million Facing Hunger in West and Central Africa

UN Warns: Nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa are at risk of hunger in the coming months due to soaring food prices, according to a joint statement from the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The number facing hunger during the June-August lean season has quadrupled over the last five years.

Double-digit inflation and stagnating local production are major drivers of the crisis, alongside recurrent conflicts in the region. Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali are expected to be among the worst affected.

The prices of staple grains have risen across the region by 10 percent to over 100 percent compared to the five-year average. Northern Mali is particularly concerning, with around 2,600 people likely to experience catastrophic hunger.

The situation has led to high levels of malnutrition, especially among children. Eight out of 10 children aged six to 23 months do not consume the minimum amount of food needed for optimal growth. Additionally, 16.7 million children under five are acutely malnourished, and over two-thirds of households cannot afford healthy diets.

To address these challenges, there is a need to invest in resilience-building and long-term solutions. Policies should focus on boosting and diversifying local food production to respond to the unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity in the region.