Over 31Mln People In West, Central Africa Expected To Experience Hunger By Autumn - UN

�WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2021) More than 31 million people are expected to experience hunger in West and Central Africa later this summer as a result of ongoing conflicts and the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Friday.

"In West Africa, conflict is already driving hunger and misery. The relentless rise in prices acts as a misery multiplier, driving millions deeper into hunger and desperation. Even when food is available, families simply cannot afford it - and soaring prices are pushing a basic meal beyond the reach of millions of poor families who were already struggling to get by," WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa Chris Nikoi said.

The WFP explained that the decrease in trade caused by the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictive measures have caused a 40 percent to 200 percent increase in the price of food staples in the region.

In addition, escalating conflicts are displacing large segments of the population as people leave their homes and fields to flee the violence.

Food insecurity in the area is expected to reach the 31 million person mark in July and August - a time of the year between harvest seasons during which food supplies are lowest - as the cost and availability of foods continues to increase.

The WFP noted that it assisted with food some 17 million people in West Africa in 2020, adding that it estimates it will exceed that number by more than a million people this year if it receives the necessary $770 million in funding.