WFP warns food insecurity could more than double in East Africa
Food insecurity could more than double in just three months as the spread of coronavirus risks devastating countries across East Africa.
Tuesday’s warning came from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) which estimates that some 20 million people currently do not have secure provisions of food across nine countries in the region: Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda.
The novel virus’s outbreak in these countries has been so far relatively contained compared to other parts of the world. However, due to their often weak economies and poor health infrastructure, they are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of the mounting crisis that has seen more than 212,000 people die.
The novel virus’s outbreak in these countries has been so far relatively contained compared to other parts of the world. However, due to their often weak economies and poor health infrastructure, they are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of the mounting crisis that has seen more than 212,000 people die.
The novel virus’s outbreak in these countries has been so far relatively contained compared to other parts of the world. However, due to their often weak economies and poor health infrastructure, they are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of the mounting crisis that has seen more than 212,000 people die.
“If we have money and access we can avert famine and we can truly avert catastrophic humanitarian death from starvation,” Beasley said.
“But if we lose our funding, or we lose supply chain, there’s going to be disaster.”
Last week, the director of the food agency warned the UN Security Council that the world is “on the brink of a hunger pandemic” that could lead to “multiple famines of biblical proportions” within a few months if immediate action was not taken.
“What you see in Africa right now is nothing compared to what you’re going to see, just like what you were looking at in the United States or the UK just six weeks ago,” he said.
