West Africa Faces Alarming Food Crisis Amid Worsening Conditions

The World Food Programme (WFP) has raised an urgent alert, indicating that approximately 52 million individuals across West and Central Africa are in danger of failing to meet their basic nutritional needs during the lean season.

The alarm stems from a mix of conflict, adverse weather patterns, and economic instability, with food inflation exacerbated by escalating fuel costs in nations such as Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. Internal displacement of eight million people in Nigeria and Cameroon further compounds the crisis.

Excluding the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict has surged, the WFP reports five-phase hunger levels across the region, essentially categorizing parts of Mali as facing catastrophic hunger. The rising famine conditions necessitate immediate international attention and intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)