The United Nations has stated in a new report that since the COVID-19 pandemic, about 78% of Africans are not able to afford a healthy diet.
This was stated in a report titled, “African Regional Overview of food security and Nutrition 2023” was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the African Union Commission (AUC), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA and the World Food Programme (WFP).
According to the report, estimates reveal that 3 out of every 4 persons in the continent cannot afford a healthy meal. This translates to around 78% of the population or over 1 billion of the continent’s population.
It states, “Moreover, estimates show that in 2021 the majority of Africa’s population – about 78% – were unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42% at the global level.”
It attributed the cause of the phenomenon to the increase in food prices across the continent partly due to the Russia/Ukraine crisis which disrupted the global supply chain of goods especially grains such as wheat.
The National Bureau of Statistics puts Nigeria’s inflation rate at 27.3% but food inflation- the major driver of inflation in Nigeria stands at 31.5%. But not only in Nigeria but countries across the SSA region have seen record levels of food inflation.
South Africa’s inflation rate rose to a 14year high in March and in Ghana, inflation jumped to almost 50% in September.
This increase has reduced consumers’ purchasing power and further pushed more people into poverty. For example, the World Bank estimates around 7 million people will slide into poverty over the attendant inflation over the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria in May.
Also, political and social instability across the continent is responsible for the renewed hunger prevalent in the continent. Millions of people in West and Central Africa have been displaced from their communities due to armed violence, while in East Africa, farmers face significant threats from climate change and extreme weather.
The rising prices of food make it increasingly challenging for many families to afford an adequate diet as their incomes struggle to keep pace.
Furthermore, the report states that around 20% of Africa’s population, representing nearly 282 million people, are currently experiencing undernourishment, marking an increase of 57 million individuals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, over a billion people in the region cannot afford a nutritious diet, and roughly 30% of children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition.
Africa is not on course to achieve the food security and nutrition targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, as well as the Malabo targets aiming to eliminate hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2025.
