UN: West and Central Africa Experiences Deepening Food Crisis

Over 40 million people in West and Central Africa are struggling with food insecurity during the 2024 post-harvest season, a number projected to rise to 52.7 million by mid-2025, Reliefweb.com reported yesterday.

This includes 3.4 million facing emergency hunger levels. Despite a slight decrease in overall food insecurity due to improved conditions in some areas, emergency hunger has surged by 70% this season.

Countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad are most affected, with displaced populations particularly vulnerable. The crisis is driven by conflict, economic instability, and climate shocks, including recent floods impacting six million people.

An estimated 16.3 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2024. UN agencies call for urgent humanitarian action and long-term solutions, emphasizing the need for flexible funding and investments in resilience to combat the ongoing food crisis and ensure access to nutritious food for affected communities.