16.5 million children suffer from acute malnutrition in West Africa, according to the World Bank

In the Sahel, food insecurity is reaching high levels, warns the World Bank. © MICHELE CATTANI / AFP

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Food prices continue to rise around the world and Africa is no exception, according to a World Bank report. The financial institution publishes this Monday an inventory of food security in the world. It describes a particularly critical situation in West and Central Africa.

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29.5 million people are in need of emergency food assistance, according to the latest estimates by the World Bank's Food Crisis Prevention Network. The financial institution considers the situation in the Sahel particularly worrying, especially for children under five. Nearly 16.5 million are acutely malnourished in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. This is due to violence and insecurity, climate change and inflation.

And the phenomenon affects the entire continent. In West Africa, the prices of the main staple cereals are, according to the World Bank, 25 to 40% higher than the average of the last five years. Food prices are also rising in southern Africa, particularly in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa.

The World Bank explains this inflation by the general rise in world commodity prices and fuel prices, which increases the cost of transporting food.

Coastal countries are also affected. Households are finding it increasingly difficult to access enough nutritious food. The financial institution points to persistent trade barriers, high transportation costs, the repercussions of the war in Ukraine and currency depreciation.

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Finally, other aggravating factors mentioned by the financial institution: the continuation of the conflict in the DRC, which will increase the number of refugees. The conflict in Sudan is also mentioned in the country, humanitarian aid is limited. Here, too, food insecurity is expected to worsen.

And as far as North Africa is concerned, Tunisia is bearing the brunt of the consequences of the ongoing drought. According to the World Bank, the country received only 44% of its average rainfall. Tunisia's agriculture ministry estimates that cereal production will be reduced by 500,000 tonnes compared to last year.

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• World Bank
• Economy Africa