- One in three people in sub-Saharan Africa, or 236 million (2007), are chronically hungry, making the figure the highest proportion of undernourished people in the total population, according to the newly released report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The reports further points out that most of the increase in the number of hungry in the region, occurred in a single country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a result of widespread and persistent conflict, from 11 million to 43 million (in 2003-05), while the proportion of undernourished rose from 29 to 76 percent.
The report however notes that, overall, sub-Saharan Africa has made some progress in reducing the proportion of people suffering from chronic hunger, down from 34 (1995-97) to 30 percent (2003-2005).
"Ghana, Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi have achieved the steepest reductions in the proportion of undernourished. Ghana is the only country that has reached both the hunger reduction target of the World Food Summit and the Millennium Development Goals. Growth in agricultural production was key in this success," FAO report stated.
Looking at the overall global results, FAO warned that another 40 million people have been pushed into hunger this year primarily due to higher food prices.
According to preliminary estimates published by FAO this week, this brings the overall number of undernourished people in the world to 963 million, compared to 923 million in 2007, further stating that the ongoing financial and economic crisis could tip even more people into hunger and poverty.
"World food prices have dropped since early 2008, but lower prices have not ended the food crisis in many poor countries," said FAO Assistant Director-General Hafez Ghanem, presenting the new edition of FAO's hunger report, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008.
"For millions of people in developing countries, eating the minimum amount of food every day to live an active and healthy life is a distant dream. The structural problems of hunger, like the lack of access to land, credit and employment, combined with high food prices remain a dire reality," he stressed.
According to FAO, prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but still remain high compared to previous years. Despite its sharp decline in recent months, the FAO Food Price Index was still 28 percent higher in October 2008 compared to October 2006.
The report also notes that with prices for seeds and fertilisers and other inputs, more than doubling since 2006, poor farmers could not increase production, while richer farmers, particularly those in developed countries, could afford the higher input costs and expand plantings.
FAO said as a result, cereal production in developed countries is likely to rise by at least 10 percent in 2008, and that the increase in developing countries may not exceed even one percent.
"If lower prices and the credit crunch associated with the economic crisis force farmers to plant less food, another round of dramatic food prices could be unleashed next year," Mr Ghanem added further emphasising that "The 1996 World Food Summit target, to reduce the number of hungry by half by 2015, requires a strong political commitment and investment in poor countries of at least $30 billion per year for agriculture and social protection of the poor".
According the the FAO report, the vast majority of the world's undernourished people - 907 million - live in developing countries, according to the 2007 data reported by the State of Food Insecurity in the World. Of these, 65 percent live in only seven countries: India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
The report also points out that countries in the Near East and North Africa generally experience the lowest levels of undernourishment in the world, but noted that conflicts (in Afghanistan and Iraq) and high food prices have pushed the numbers up from 15 million in 1990-92 to 37 million in 2007.
FAO said some countries were well on track towards reaching the summit's target, before food prices skyrocketed but "Even these countries may have suffered setbacks - some of the progress has been cancelled due to high food prices. The crisis has mainly affected the poorest, landless and households run by women," Mr Ghanem said, adding "It will require an enormous and resolute global effort and concrete actions to reduce the number of hungry by 500 million by 2015."
The FAO report has concluded by warning that the world hunger situation may further deteriorate as the financial crisis hits the real economies of more and more countries. It went on to point that reduced demand in developed countries threatens incomes in developing countries via exports. "Remittances, investments and other capital flows including development aid are also at risk. Emerging economies in particular are subject to lasting impacts from the credit crunch even if the crisis itself is short-lived," the report said.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español