More than 40 million people across West and Central Africa are facing severe hunger as they struggle to feed themselves during the 2024 post-harvest season.
This alarming figure, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), is expected to rise further, with projections indicating that 52.7 million people will be facing hunger by mid-2025.
The situation is dire, with over 3.4 million people already grappling with emergency levels of hunger in the region, as highlighted in the United Nations’ recent food security analysis.
Despite a slight improvement in food security compared to last year, largely due to better security and above-average rainfall in some areas of the Sahel, the food crisis is worsening.
The number of people facing emergency levels of hunger has surged by 70% during the post-harvest season, with an even steeper rise expected during the June-August 2025 lean season.
Countries most affected by this crisis include Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad, which together account for more than half of the food-insecure population.
The United Nations has stressed that forcibly displaced people are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Millions of people have been displaced across the region, particularly in Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria, making them more vulnerable to food insecurity.
In many cases, displaced people have been cut off from their farms, and this lack of access to land has made it nearly impossible for them to grow food, further exacerbating the problem.
Climate shocks have also played a significant role in worsening food insecurity. Deadly floods this year have affected millions of people, destroying homes, livelihoods, and agricultural productivity.
These climate events, along with ongoing conflicts and economic instability, have contributed to the deteriorating situation, pushing more people into hunger.
The World Food Programme’s Regional Director for Western Africa, Margot van der Velden, called for a fundamental shift in the approach to tackling the hunger crisis in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
She emphasised the need for long-term solutions, stating, “The vicious cycle of hunger in West and Central Africa can be broken, but it requires a fundamental shift in our approach.”
One of the major contributing factors to the crisis is the high cost of food, which has made it impossible for many families to afford even basic nutritious meals.
In countries like Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, the cost of living has soared, pushing many families deeper into poverty.
The economic instability is compounded by low purchasing power, leaving households unable to meet their basic needs.
This is particularly concerning as food insecurity is also affecting the nutritional status of children.
An estimated 16.3 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2024, with 5 million of them at risk of severe malnutrition.
Recent nutrition surveys in the Sahel have shown that the situation is deteriorating, with several regions experiencing significant declines in the nutritional status of children.
UNICEF’s Regional Director for West Africa, Gilles Fagninou, underscored the importance of investing in nutrition, especially for children.
He stated, “Good nutrition in the early years of life is the bedrock of child survival, development, and future healthy adult life.”
Investing in nutrition can yield up to $16 in economic returns for every dollar spent, as it improves health, education, and productivity.
The United Nations has called for an urgent increase in humanitarian assistance, as well as long-term investments in food security and resilience-building efforts.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, and WFP have all stressed the need for flexible and predictable funding to address the crisis and support affected communities.
The agencies have also called for greater access to locally produced fertilisers to boost food production and support smallholder farmers, who are vital to improving food security in the region.
