Nigeria is among a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are under the threat of food insecurity, the World Bank has said.
The President, World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday, said there were devastating levels of food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and Yemen.
He also disclosed that the bank was working out $1.6bn fund to cushion the effect of the food crisis in the region.
Kim said, “Famine is a stain on our collective conscience. Millions of lives are at risk and more will die if we do not act quickly and decisively.
“We at the World Bank Group stand in solidarity with the people now threatened by famine. We are mobilising an immediate response for Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.
“Our first priority is to work with partners to make sure that families have access to food and water. We are working towards a financial package of more than $1.6bn to build social protection systems, strengthen community resilience, and maintain service delivery to the most vulnerable.
“This includes existing operations of over $870m that will help communities threatened by famine. I am also working with our Board of Directors to secure the approval of new operations amounting to $770m; funded substantially through the IDA’s Crisis Response Window.”
He said, “The World Bank Group will help respond to the immediate needs of the current famine, but we must recognise that famine will have lasting impact on people’s health, ability to learn, and earn a living. So, we will also continue to work with communities to reclaim their livelihoods and build resilience to future shocks.
“We are coordinating closely with the United Nations and other partners in all areas of our response. We know that resolution to this acute crisis will not be possible without all humanitarian and development actors working together. We call on the international community to respond robustly and quickly to the UN global appeal for resources for the famine.”
He added, “To prevent crises in the future, we must invest in addressing the root causes and drivers of fragility today and help countries build institutional and societal resilience.”
Famine was officially declared on February 20 in South Sudan, impacting approximately 100,000 people; and the World Bank said there was a credible risk of other famines in Yemen, Nigeria (North-East) and other countries.
It said ongoing conflicts and civil insecurity were further intensifying the food insecurity of millions of people across the region, adding that there was already widespread displacement and other cross-border spillover effects.
According to World Bank, famine means that a significant part of the population has no access to basic food; suffers from severe malnutrition; and death from hunger reaches an unprecedented level. Children under five are disproportionately affected. Famine can affect the well-being of a whole generation.
It added that the United Nations estimated that about 20 million people in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen are on the ‘tipping point’ of famine.
Drought conditions also extend to Uganda and parts of Tanzania. The last famine was declared in 2011 in Somalia during which 260,000 people died.
