The number of food insecure people in West and Central Africa is projected increase by 400% to a five year high of 55 million for the 2024 June to August lean season.
The March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis projects a four million increase in the number of food insecure people in the region during the period.
According to the report, currency devaluation, restrictive trade practices and heightened inflation were the factors responsible for the worsened food situation across the region with Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra-Leone the most affected.
Furthermore, the report noted that the prices of staple foods have soared between 10% and over 100% in the last five years across the region primarily caused by increased fuel and transport cost and sanctions from some ECOWAS countries.
Specifically, it mentioned that the currency weakness pass-through on food prices reached 30% in Nigeria 54% in Sierra-Leone, 23% in Ghana and others.
It lamented the spate of food importation across the region and the increased import cost even as the region already has a deficit of 12 million tons of cereals in the 2023/2024.
Staple food prices especially grains have soared in the past five years occasioned first by the covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war which pushed commodity prices to record highs. Last year, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal which guaranteed the safe passage of essential grains to countries in need.