International

27 countries are facing COVID-19-driven food crises

A new report from UN's FAO warns that the current pandemic may turn into a food crisis in just a few months.

Posted on Jul 20 ,09:34

27 countries are facing COVID-19-driven food crises

A new analysis issued by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) identifies 27 countries that are on the frontline of impending COVID-19-driven food crises, as the pandemic's knock-on effects aggravate pre-existing drivers of hunger.

No world region is immune to this threat, from Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Asia, to Haiti, Venezuela and Central America, to Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Syria in the Middle East to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Liberia Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe in Africa.
These countries were already grappling with high levels of food insecurity and acute hunger even before COVID-19, due to pre-existing shocks and stressors such as economic crises, instability and insecurity, climate extremes, and, plant pests and animal diseases, noted FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.

"Now they are on the frontline and bearing the brunt of COVID-19's disruptive effects on food systems, which are fuelling a hunger crisis within a health crisis. We must not think of this as a risk that will emerge sometime down the line. We cannot treat this as tomorrow's problem. We need to do more to safeguard both food systems and our most vulnerable populations - right now," he said.
Surveyed farmers are reporting numerous challenges in accessing seeds, resulting in reduced planting. In Haiti, 90% of interviewees expect to see a significant decrease in cereal production. In Colombia, over half of livestock keepers questioned report difficulties in accessing feed, while in South Sudan, two-thirds of respondents say they are struggling to access animal health support.

This dynamic is likely to lead to a vicious cycle of declining production, reduced agricultural labour opportunities and increasing food prices, resulting in negative coping strategies and a further deterioration of food and nutrition security.

 NEWSLETTER - Stay informed with the latest news!

Comments





Similar articles

FRANCE

France announces the purchase of 2 million additional vaccines in response to the FCO3 epidemic

In order to anticipate the need for vaccines made available free of charge to farmers by the Stat...


Read more Read more
USA

First Detection of H5N1 in U.S. Swine

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Oregon state veterinary officials are investigating...


Read more Read more
EU

EU member states demand more activity in combating animal diseases

The European Commission must take more responsibility for the joint fight against animal diseases...


Read more Read more
Websolutions by Angular Software and SpiderClass