UN warns of rising hunger in Africa amid global decline

Paska Itwari Beda’s neighbours set up a doughnut stand in Juba, South Sudan, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
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Adrienne Surprenant / Collectif Item

Sudan

While global hunger is showing signs of decline, a new United Nations report highlights a troubling trend in Africa, where hunger continues to rise. According to the report, an estimated 512 million people worldwide will remain undernourished by the end of the decade, 60% of them in Africa.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning during the African Union’s Global Food Systems Summit, held in Ethiopia. Speaking via video, Guterres cautioned that food must never be used “as a weapon of war,” as he joined other leaders in calling for urgent action to address the continent’s deepening food crisis.

The numbers are alarming: more than 280 million people across Africa are currently malnourished. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf pointed to climate shocks, conflict, and economic disruption as the key drivers of worsening food insecurity.

“Fifty-two million Africans face food insecurity, and nearly 3.4 million are on the brink of famine,” Youssouf said.

Leaders at the summit emphasized the need for stronger investments in agriculture, climate resilience, and social protection systems to reverse the trend. Without swift, coordinated efforts, the continent risks becoming home to half of the world’s undernourished population within the next five years.