By: Issa Sikiti da Silva
[NAIROBI]
Millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa could face grave hunger in the
first half of 2020 because of armed conflict, political instability and climate change-linked disasters, a report says.
The report published by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) this month says that
the countries affected will require life-saving food assistance and investment
to prevent humanitarian catastrophes.
According to estimates of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 70.8 million people are displaced worldwide by war, violence and
persecution, with low- and middle-income countries bearing the brunt of the
problem.
“In some countries, we are seeing conflict and instability combine with climate extremes force people from their homes, farms and places of work.”
Alexandre Le Cuziat, World Food Programme
Climate change
seems to be creating refugees on its own, with the World Bank estimating in a
2018 report that over
140 million are expected to migrate within countries by 2050, mostly in
Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America.
“In some countries, we are seeing conflict and instability combine with climate
extremes force people from their homes, farms and places
of work,” says Alexandre Le Cuziat, a co-author of the WFP report.
“In others, climate shocks are occurring alongside economic collapse and
leaving millions on the brink of destitution and hunger.”
The WFP report is an internal analysis that is compiled every two months and
used to identify countries of high prioritisation for emergency assistance. The
agency identified critical and complex emergencies at risk of descending
further into crisis without a rapid response and greater investment.
Le Cuziat, a
senior conflict analyst with the WFP, says that the Democratic Republic of
Congo, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Central Sahel region comprising Burkina Faso,
Mali and Niger are more vulnerable to hunger.
“Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst drought in decades, with temperatures
hitting over 40 degrees Celsius. This has severely affected food production and
highlights the severe impacts of climate change affecting the broader
sub-region, which has seen the worst drought in 35 years,” Le Cuziat explains.
“South Sudan remains embroiled in a bitter conflict which has pushed millions
into hunger and malnutrition. Meanwhile the Central Sahel faces a toxic
cocktail of rapidly escalating armed conflict, population displacement, hunger
and widespread poverty, compounded by the effects of climate change.
“The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeing large scale displacement and food
insecurity amid persistent insecurity and conflict, which are compounded by
lack of humanitarian access and repeated climate shocks.”
Action is needed now to save lives and that without sustained funding, crucial
humanitarian assistance that could mitigate the impact of disasters and prevent
humanitarian catastrophes is under threat, explains Le Cuziat, adding that the
WFP would require more than US$10 billion to fully fund all of its operations
in more than 80 countries around the world in 2020
