Global report finds 108 million people face severe food insecurity
According to the “Global Report on Food Crises 2017,” approximately 108 million people in 48 food-crisis countries were at risk or in severe acute food insecurity in 2016.
According to the “Global Report on Food Crises 2017,” approximately 108 million people in 48 food-crisis countries were at risk or in severe acute food insecurity in 2016. These data show a 35% increase from 80 million people in 2015. Compiled by the European Union, World Food Program (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the report enhances coordination and decision-making through a neutral analysis that informs program planning and implementation.
The dramatic increase in food-crisis individuals reflects the trouble that they face in terms of accessing food due to conflict, record-high food prices in local markets, and extreme weather conditions such as drought and erratic rainfall caused by El Niño. In nine out of 10 worst humanitarian crises, civil conflict was found to be the driving force, indicating a strong link between peace and food security.
The acute and wide-reaching effects of conflicts left significant numbers of food insecure people in need of urgent assistance in Yemen (17 million), Syria (7 million), South Sudan (4.9 million), Somalia (2.9 million), Northeast Nigeria (4.7 million), Burundi (2.3 million), and Central African Republic (2 million). El Niño-induced weather patterns and conflicts were also main drivers of intensified food insecurity in 2016. The persistent nature of these drivers, and their associated impacts, has weakened households’ capacity to cope, undermining their resilience and ability to recover from future shocks. The food crises in 2016 were both widespread and severe, affecting entire national populations, such as in Yemen, or causing acute damage in localized areas, such as in Northeast Nigeria.
The report concluded that the immediate outlook points to a further deterioration of food security in certain hotspots, particularly in areas that have been severely affected by droughts and conflict. In southern Africa, the poor 2016 harvests have greatly reduced household food supplies. This is expected to result in a harsher lean season in early 2017. Further ahead, the early 2017 production outlook points to an expected recovery based on favorable rainfall forecasts, with the main harvest expected to start in April. However, there are forecasts of worsening food security, particularly for Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The current drought in East Africa is expected to increase food insecurity in early 2017, with major concerns in southern Somalia, South and Southeastern Ethiopia, and Southeastern and coastal parts of Kenya.