Central African countries faced with Covid-19
A group of women who manage a market gardening perimeter on the outskirts of the city of Kinshasa in the DRC.
© RFI / Sayouba Traoré
By: Sayouba Traoré
3 min
More generally, in Central Africa, agro-pastoral production cannot ensure the food security of the populations.
International studies therefore predict that food imports should double by 2050. And it is in such a context that the Covid-19 pandemic and the barrier measures issued by the various governments intervene.
Publicity
27% of the population of the 11 member countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) are facing food insecurity, undernourishment and malnutrition, which affects nearly 43 million people in Central Africa .
Such a situation can be explained by low productivity and low level of infrastructure.
As scientists like to measure things, there is a rate of global acute malnutrition that exceeds 20% in Central Africa, knowing that a rate of 15% is considered a level of crisis or an emergency.
Market garden areas in the outskirts of the city of Kinshasa in the DRC.
RFI / Sayouba Traoré
So there are problems during agricultural production;
little or no processing of the products, therefore problems for conservation;
and problems during marketing.
And it is in this situation that the coronavirus intervenes.
It is hardly surprising to learn that many countries in the Central Africa zone fear hunger riots, following the numerous disruptions in supply chains generated by the measures aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Market garden areas in the outskirts of the city of Kinshasa in the DRC.
RFI / Sayouba Traoré
Guests:
-
Mireille Moguena
, head of the Africa division of the StartEMH design office, which operates in the 6 CEMAC countries
-
Josué Madjitoloum
, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Business Owners in Chad.
Production: Sayouba Traoré
Director: Ewa Piedel
Market garden areas in the outskirts of the city of Kinshasa in the DRC.
RFI / Sayouba Traoré
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