Civil conflicts and their consequences, including refugees needing food in neighboring countries, are a factor in 21 of the 39 countries that need food assistance, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in a quarterly report. Warfare in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria has disrupted food supplies for at least 40 million people, it said.
In Nigeria, for example, more than 8 million people are food-insecure because food prices are up and farm output is down, and the number is expected to rise to 11 million people by next August. Continued conflict in Yemen probably has increased food insecurity above the 14.2 million people estimated in June.
Forecasts suggest large grain harvests are on the horizon but hunger will intensify in some regions during the lean season before harvest, said FAO. In southern Africa, where El Niño amplified the effect of drought this year, “the number of people requiring outside assistance from January through March 2017 is expected to significantly increase compared to the same period a year ago.”
To read the FAO’s “Crop prospects and food situation” report, click here.