KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Food insecurity is escalating across various regions of Africa, with more than 1 billion people, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the continent's population, unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024. This alarming statistic is highlighted in a recent report published Monday by the United Nations.
The report indicates that the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Africa stands at over double the global average of 28%. In contrast, regions such as Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Oceania do not reach similar figures. This annual report, compiled by five U.N. agencies including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Program, assesses trends in the worldwide endeavor to eradicate hunger by 2030.
Globally, an estimated 8.2% of the population may have faced hunger in 2024, reflecting a decline from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022. However, this positive trend starkly contrasts with the persistent rise in hunger across most subregions in Africa, as well as in parts of western Asia and the Middle East. Notably, undernourishment in Africa has surpassed 20%, while western Asia has seen a growth to 12.7% in similar concerns.
The U.N. report paints a worrying picture of food insecurity in Africa, emphasizing that achieving universal food security remains a significant challenge. With projections indicating that 512 million individuals worldwide may be chronically undernourished by 2030, nearly 60% of these individuals will be located in Africa.
Máximo Torero, chief economist with the FAO, stressed the urgent need to reverse this disheartening trend. He reported that the number of Africans who cannot afford a healthy diet has dramatically increased from 864 million in 2019 to just over 1 billion in 2024. This figure starkly illustrates the food-related challenges faced by the vast majority of Africa's 1.5 billion inhabitants.
The report also highlights the exacerbating factors of food insecurity in Africa, pinpointing conflicts, economic instability, climate shocks, and diminished funding for emergency food and agriculture assistance as critical drivers. A previous U.N. report warned of acute food insecurity levels in 22 identified "hunger hot spots," including countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and the Palestinian territories, which were classified as having the highest concern levels.
Additionally, it categorized Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen as "hotspots of very high concern," where significant numbers of individuals are experiencing or projected to experience critical levels of food insecurity. The situation in Africa remains particularly concerning due to a failure in agricultural production keeping pace with the population growth in numerous areas. Combined with ongoing violence and setbacks from climate change, these challenges create a compounded effect that threatens to destabilize already fragile agrifood systems.
Torero elaborated on the dire situation, noting that regions like Sudan and the Sahel are grappling with severe challenges that further complicate the agricultural landscape. Climate change serves as a formidable threat, particularly impacting the most vulnerable populations in these regions. The interplay of conflict, climatic disruptions, and economic hardships necessitates an urgent and coordinated global response to address food insecurity in Africa.
