According to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis released by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), nearly 55 million individuals across West and Central Africa are anticipated to face food insecurity during the June-August 2024 lean season.
A joint statement issued on Friday by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) underscores a concerning trend. This projection reflects a four-million increase in food-insecure populations compared to the November 2023 forecast and signifies a fourfold escalation over the past five years.
The statement highlights particularly alarming circumstances in conflict-affected northern Mali, where approximately 2,600 individuals are at risk of experiencing catastrophic hunger (IPC/CH phase 5). Moreover, the analysis illuminates a notable shift in the factors influencing food insecurity, extending beyond recurrent conflicts.
Economic impediments such as currency devaluations, surging inflation rates, stagnant production levels, and trade obstacles have exacerbated the food crisis, adversely impacting communities across the region. Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Mali are among the most severely affected nations.
The statement underscores the relentless rise in prices of key staple grains throughout the region, ranging from 10 percent to over 100 percent compared to the five-year average. This surge is driven by factors including currency inflation, escalating fuel and transportation expenses, ECOWAS sanctions, and limitations on agropastoral product flows.
West and Central Africa heavily rely on imports to meet food requirements, with import expenditures continuing to surge due to currency depreciation and high inflation rates. These challenges persist amidst significant fiscal constraints and macroeconomic hurdles faced by countries in the region.
Cereal production for the 2023-2024 agricultural season indicates a deficit of 12 million tons, with per capita cereal availability down by two percent compared to the preceding agricultural season.
Margot Vandervelden, WFP’s Acting Regional Director for Western Africa, emphasizes the imperative for immediate action. She urges all stakeholders to intensify efforts, adopt innovative initiatives, and implement strategies to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, while ensuring inclusivity and resilience-building measures for the region’s future.
The statement underscores the alarming prevalence of malnutrition in West and Central Africa, with 16.7 million children under five suffering from acute malnutrition. Moreover, more than two-thirds of households struggle to afford nutritious diets, and eight out of ten children aged 6-23 months fail to consume the minimum required foods for optimal growth and development.
In response to escalating needs, FAO, UNICEF, and WFP call upon national governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to enact sustainable solutions that bolster food security, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate the adverse impacts of economic volatility. Collaboration between governments and the private sector is deemed essential to uphold the fundamental human right to food for all.
The joint efforts of FAO, UNICEF, and WFP have facilitated the expansion of national social protection programs in Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Niger. Efforts are underway to extend support to the governments of Chad and Burkina Faso. Similarly, collaborative initiatives between FAO, IFAD, and WFP across the Sahel aim to enhance productivity, availability, and access to nutritious food through resilience-building programs.
Dr. Robert Guei, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for West Africa and the Sahel, underscores the importance of promoting policies that encourage diversification in agricultural production and processing of local foods. Such initiatives are crucial not only for ensuring year-round access to healthy, affordable diets but also for safeguarding biodiversity, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and protecting the livelihoods of affected populations.
