The African Union leaders have been charged to boost agricultural and security sectors with a view to addressing food shortage as well as ensuring peace in the continent.
This is to ensure food security and avert looming dangers related to food scarcity in the region.
A non governmental organization,OXFAM International gave the charge through a press release issued Yesterday calling on the African leaders who are presently meeting in Ethiopia to proper solutions amid worsening hunger and malnutrition threatening sustainable development in the continent.
In the release signed by Rita Abiodun,Communications officer,OXFAM advanced that one (1) out five (5) people (282m) is now under- nourished noting that 93Million in 36 African countries are extremely suffering from hunger.
“Women and children are hit hardest.In sub-Sahara Africa,one in three children under five is stunted by chronic undernutrition while two out of five women of childbearing age are anaemic because of poor diets.
“The UN estimates that food prices in sub-Sahara Africa are now 30-40% higher than the rest of the world,taking into account comparative levels of GDP per capital.
“The triple threat of the climate crisis,COVID-19,and conflict will require an extraordinary response from African leaders.Many countries have already taken important steps,increasing investment in healthcare,providing shock responsive social protection systems and empowering local,Women-led,peace building initiatives.However,such actions are still too few and far between.
“People are having to skip meals to feed their children,selling livestock and other assets,begging,pulling children out of school or harvesting immature crops.Over 3 million people in Somalia have recently migrated,in large part because of hunger,while million of households in pastoralist communities in Chad,Benin,Niger,Mali and Mauritania say they are having to sell more animals than they otherwise would to pay more food “.Said OXFAM’s Pan-African program Director Peter Kamalingin.
