Zimbabwe tops African nations hardest hit by inflation, food insecurity
Zimbabwe, Ghana and Rwanda are among the 10 countries on the globe that are hardest-hit by food price inflation, with Uganda and Egypt also seeing sharp rises, according to the latest numbers from the World Bank.
They join Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan, which are among 15 nations identified by the World Food Program for the worst malnutrition impacts in children. Twelve of these additional 15 nations are on the African continent.
The war in Ukraine accelerated and triggered more attention to the crisis, but food prices and global hunger were already on the rise even before the war. Climate change, among others, has been a major driver of these worsening trends.”
There are signs of relief, with vegetable oil, meat, and cereal prices trending downward in recent months, though sugar and dairy prices tended to offset these gains. But trade-related policies imposed by many countries have surged because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and they remain.
“The global food crisis has been partially made worse by the growing number of food trade restrictions put in place by countries with a goal of increasing domestic supply and reducing prices,” the World Bank said.
World Bank food aid for Africans includes a $315 million loan to support food system resilience in Chad, Ghana and Sierra Leone, $500 million for vulnerable populations in Egypt, and $130 million in barley and wheat crop support for Tunisia.
Laureen Fagan
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Laureen is a freelance journalist creating high-quality, informed content on international affairs, politics and technology. She has worked both in and out of newsrooms since 2000. She is a former paramedic with significant experience in community resilience and nonprofit community development initiatives, and maintains "a passion for action" on sustainability and climate change. She also is trained in conflict resolution and diversity, and has special interests in science and medical reporting, and culture and religion issues. Laureen received her MSJ from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in the United States, and completed additional graduate study in theology at University of Notre Dame. Follow Laureen on Mastodon at @laureen@m.ai6yr.org
