As Many as 50 Million Africans Could Face Food Crisis as Pandemic Worsens, says FAO Official

April 28, 2020 (EIRNS)—The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Resilience Coordinator for West Africa Coumba Sow warned of a fivefold increase in starvation in West Africa and the Sahel caused by droughts, locust outbreaks and conflicts in West Africa and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Across West Africa, as of April, over 11 million people need immediate food assistance—mostly due to conflict. And this number will continue rising, potentially reaching 17 million during the lean season (June-August) if we don’t respond fast,” she said told multiple media in an interview yesterday, reported TASS.

“If the pandemic worsens, as many as 50 million more people could face a food crisis in the region. Those who are already hungry, or already hungry and displaced, will be at extreme risk. Malnutrition rates in the Sahel are one of the highest in the world. Some 2.5 million children—more than a quarter in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger—suffer from severe and acute malnutrition.”