The number of hungry people in West and Central Africa could reach a record high of 48 million in 2023, three entities of the United Nations (UN) have said.
According to the UN entities, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP), more than 35 million people, including 6.7 million children, are currently unable to meet their basic food and nutrition needs.
They warned that this should serve as a final ‘wake-up call’ for regional governments to act immediately.
The situation, they added, is particularly worrying in the Liptako-Gourma tri-border region between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where 25,500 people will experience catastrophic hunger during the June-August lean season next year.
‘The food and nutrition security outlook for 2023 is extremely worrying and this should be the last wake-up call for governments of the region and their partners’, WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa Region, Chris Nikoi, said in a statement.
‘Strengthening the resilience of communities has to become a singular and collective focus for us all if we are to pull this situation back from the precipice before it is too late’, he added.
The UN agencies also urged governments across the regions to ramp up support and investments in food security and nutrition programmes.
Photo source: United Nations
