UN agencies say double-digit inflation and stagnant local production are the main causes of the hunger crisis.
Nearly 55 million people will struggle to feed themselves in western and central Africa in the coming months as rising prices have fueled a food crisis, United Nations agencies have warned.
In a joint statement on Friday, the World Food Program (WFP), the UN children’s agency UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the number of hungry people had quadrupled during the lean June-August season over the past five years.
It said economic challenges such as double-digit inflation and stagnant local production had become the main drivers of the crisis, along with recurring conflicts in the region.
And it was noted that Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Mali would be among the hardest hit countries.
The UN agencies said prices of key staples continued to rise across the region from 10 percent to over 100 percent compared to the five-year average.
The situation is particularly worrying in northern Mali, where around 2,600 people are expected to suffer from catastrophic starvation, it said.
“The time to act is now. We need the commitment of all partners… to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control,” said Margot Vandervelden, acting WFP regional director for West Africa.
“We need to invest more in building resilience and longer-term solutions for West Africa’s future,” she added.
Malnourished children
Food shortages have also led to “alarmingly high” levels of malnutrition, which severely affect children.
According to authorities, eight out of 10 children between the ages of six and 23 months do not consume the minimum amount of food needed for optimal growth and development.
In addition, around 16.7 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished and more than two out of three households are unable to afford a healthy diet.
“For children in the region to reach their full potential, we must ensure that every girl and boy receives good nutrition and care, lives in a healthy and safe environment and has the right learning opportunities,” said UNICEF Regional Director Gilles Fagninou .
“To make a lasting difference in children’s lives, we must take into account the situation of the child as a whole and strengthen education, health, water and sanitation, nutrition and social protection systems,” he added.
The region’s heavy reliance on food imports has increased pressure, particularly for countries struggling with high inflation, such as Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Measures should be introduced to promote and diversify local food production “to respond to unprecedented food and nutrition insecurity,” said Robert Guei, FAO’s sub-regional coordinator for West Africa.