NAIROBI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Food insecurity in eastern Africa is likely to persist until the second quarter of 2024, the World Food Program (WFP) said in a report released Monday.
The UN food agency attributed the situation to conflict, inflation, and disease outbreaks.
"Food prices in the region remain high, and the trend is projected to continue, especially with an outlook for a potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East that could negatively impact global oil prices and supply chains," the report said.
The WFP, however, noted that conflict-related shocks could be counterbalanced by a wetter-than-normal climatic season that will provide an opportunity for the region to continue its recovery from the 2020-2023 drought.
As of March, there were an estimated 54 million food-insecure people in eastern Africa. Hotspot countries include Sudan (17.7 million), Ethiopia (15.8 million), and South Sudan (5.7 million), said the UN agency.
"The war in Sudan continues to be a leading cause of increased cases of malnutrition and associated mortality in the region," the WFP said. "In South Sudan, between July 2023 and June 2024, an estimated 1.7 million children between 6-59 months are expected to suffer acute malnutrition."
On the other hand, in Ethiopia, a prolonged drought, coupled with malaria, measles, and cholera outbreaks, has exacerbated the nutritional insecurity, the report said. ■
