Climate change is affecting food production in Africa. Also, political instability and conflict disrupt farming and move people away from their homes, making the situation worse. Similarly, economic inequality means the most vulnerable don’t have access to food.
Africa’s population is set to double by 2050, putting further pressure on food production and distribution.
The 2023 Global Hunger Index shows that while some countries have made progress in reducing hunger, little has been done globally since 2015. Hunger remains a serious problem in 43 countries.
The report says the problem is caused by several crises. These include the pandemic, the war, economic problems, climate change, and conflicts.
1. Central African Republic
GHI score in 2023: 42.3
For more than a decade, the Central African Republic has been gripped by a widespread humanitarian crisis. Outbreaks of sectarian violence have displaced one in four Central Africans and led to rising rates of hunger and malnutrition.
“It’s incredibly challenging because if people have to move to escape the violence, they may lose access to their land,” said Concern’s Pauline Carron in 2021, during an intense escalation of violence. “By the time they can come back, they may have lost what they’ve grown, and if they’ve missed the harvest season, they’re going into the lean season with no food reserves. It’s very difficult to survive if you don’t have your own food.
2. Madagascar
GHI score in 2023: 41.0
A deadly partnership between climate change and hunger is fuelling a growing crisis in Madagascar. The southern region of the country faces recurring droughts, with the current drought being described as the worst the country has faced in 40 years. At the height of the drought in 2022, hunger levels increased by 1 million people in just three months.
3. Yemen
GHI score in 2023: 39.9
Yemen is at the centre of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, suffering from conflict within its own borders as well as the effects of conflicts around the world. Since the start of the Yemeni civil war in 2014, poverty has increased dramatically and the country’s economy has been devastated. Devastated public health, water and sanitation systems have also led to high levels of cholera, measles and polio, among other diseases. This makes malnutrition even more deadly. Dependence on Russia and Ukraine for wheat imports has exacerbated food insecurity and pushed the price of basic commodities even further out of reach.
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4. Democratic Republic of Congo
GHI score in 2023: 35.7
In terms of food security, the Democratic Republic of Congo was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of people at risk of hunger increased by 20%. In the past, Concern and Welthungerhilfe have struggled to get a full picture of hunger in the DRC. However, in 2021 we were able to include the country again in our GHI rankings. As we can see, the situation is dire.
The DRC remains at the centre of the world’s largest hunger crisis, which will affect 25.8 million people this year. This is fuelled by conflict, climate change and a protracted economic crisis that has left 72% of the country’s population living below the poverty line.
5. Lesotho
GHI score in 2023: 35.5
Lesotho, a country completely surrounded by South Africa, has lost significant progress towards Zero Hunger and has returned to a GHI score that’s higher than it was in 2000. Part of the problem is climate change and agriculture. Lesotho is a mountainous country with only 10% of its land suitable for agriculture. However, around 45% of Basotho work in agriculture. In rural parts of the country, up to 70% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming.
Over the past three decades, however, the weather has become less reliable, with failed rains and frequent droughts. This year has seen a particularly poor harvest, followed by a long period of hunger, as rain-induced flooding in January and February decimated crops. This not only deprives people of their main source of food, but also reduces incomes and increases food prices. The World Food Programme estimates that rural Basotho spend 45% of their income on food.
