Two UN agencies have warned of an acute food crisis including starvation in Sudan, where a battle for political control has descended into a war, and in Burkina Faso and Mali due to restricted movements of people and goods.
The report listed Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan at the highest alert levels, while the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya are considered countries of very high concern
It said the countries were already facing or projected to face starvation and risk a slide “towards catastrophic conditions.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) called for urgent attention to save both lives and jobs.
“Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today’s risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind.” said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General.
He called for immediate action in the agricultural sector “to pull people back from the brink of hunger, help them rebuild their lives and provide long-term solution to address the root causes of food insecurities.”
The report cited a possible spillover of the conflict in Sudan, economic decline poor nations and rising fears that the El Nino climatic phenomenon forecast for mid-2023 could provoke climate extremes in vulnerable countries.
“Not only are more people in more places around the world going hungry, but the severity of the hunger they face is worse than ever,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.
In December, the UN Children's Fund had also warned that the number of children facing dire drought conditions across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has more than doubled to around 20.2 million, as climate crisis, conflict, global inflation and grain shortages devastate the Horn of Africa region.
“As the world gets ready to welcome 2023, UNICEF urges the int’l community to commit now for what might hit the Horn of Africa next year,” UNICEF Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Mohamed Fall said.
It appealed for $759 million to provide life-saving support to children in 2023.
