Dakar, April 5 / BNA / Aid agencies said, Tuesday, that West Africa is facing the worst food crisis ever driven by conflicts, drought and the impact of the war in Ukraine on food prices and availability.
There are about 27 million people suffering from hunger in the region and that number could rise to 38 million by June, 11 international aid organizations said in a joint statement, a 40% increase from last year and a historic high.
Vast swathes of West Africa, including parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, are facing insurgencies that have forced millions of people from their lands. Besides Chad, these are the countries hardest hit by hunger.
The region has also seen floods and droughts exacerbated by the effects of climate change, making farming more difficult. Cereal production in 2021/202 is down 39% year-on-year in Niger and 15% in Mali, according to the West African Food Crisis Prevention Network.
Moreover, global food prices have skyrocketed and trade has been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. The Food Crisis Prevention Network said border closures due to the coronavirus also had a negative impact.
“What is new and aggravating is basically all the displaced and lands abandoned by the conflict, but we are also seeing new drivers,” said Salam Dawalak Sidi, Oxfam’s regional director for West and Central Africa.
Six West African countries import 30-50% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Sidi warned that the war also threatens to redirect much-needed funding from the region.
“Many donors have already indicated that they may cut funding to Africa to pay for refugees in Europe,” she said.