World Food Programme: 55 million people are at risk of starvation in West Africa
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in West and Central Africa, stating that continued cuts in humanitarian funding could lead to an unprecedented food catastrophe. The WFP explained that some 55 million people in these regions are at risk of slipping into acute levels of hunger and food insecurity during the anticipated lean season of 2026, when previous crop stocks are depleted before the new harvest.
In detailing the crisis, the program revealed alarming statistics concerning children, with more than 13 million children at risk of acute malnutrition, threatening an entire generation with long-term health and developmental problems. To address these escalating challenges, the program emphasized its urgent need for $453 million in funding over the next six months to ensure the continued provision of life-saving assistance and prevent widespread famine.
Context of the Crisis: A “Perfect Storm” of Challenges.
This warning cannot be separated from the broader context of West and Central Africa, where countries are facing what experts describe as a “perfect storm” of overlapping crises. The region suffers from persistent security instability and armed conflicts, particularly in the Sahel, which have displaced millions of people from their farmland and livelihoods. Added to this are harsh climate changes, with alternating waves of drought and devastating floods, crippling agricultural production and exacerbating the scarcity of natural resources.
The economic and regional repercussions
of this food crisis coincide with global and local economic challenges, including high inflation and currency volatility, which have led to a dramatic increase in the prices of basic food items, putting them out of reach for the poorest families. The international community's failure to bridge the funding gap not only threatens to increase mortality and disease rates but also carries significant geopolitical risks. Hunger and despair create fertile ground for social unrest and could trigger massive waves of irregular migration towards North Africa and Europe in search of survival.
A call for international response:
This warning comes at a time when the world is experiencing “funding fatigue” due to the multitude of global crises. However, the World Food Programme stresses that the cost of inaction will be very high, not only from a humanitarian perspective, but also in terms of the cost of responding to future crises, which will be more complex if the current situation is not addressed immediately.
