Thursday, March 28, 2024

Wiping Out Hunger In Africa Could Cost Just $5bn. What Are We Waiting For?

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By Feike Sijbesma

Billions are spent on humanitarian aid, yet nearly 60 million children across Africa go to bed hungry.

Efforts to alleviate the constant cycle of droughts, poverty, and war have caused new problems. The biggest of these is a crippling dependency on food aid that is undermining much of the continent’s efforts to feed itself.

UN figures show that more than 250 million people in Africa – one in five – are undernourished, making them vulnerable to disease, deficiencies and developmental stunting that stops them reaching their full potential. It has to change.

Richer donor countries need to show they are serious about helping to eradicate malnutrition and hunger by ripping off the bandage of food aid. This sounds counterintuitive, but donors need to invest in agriculture and local food manufacturing instead so that African countries can become self-sufficient. But this requires a bold new approach funded by public-private investment. Read more…

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