More Than 34 Million Could Face Hunger By June In West Africa, IRC Says

(Bloomberg) -- More than 34 million people across West Africa's Sahel region could face hunger by June as conflict, climate change and economic turmoil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine has deepened a humanitarian crisis, the International Rescue Committee said.

In Nigeria, Chad, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso 23.5 million people are currently food insecure. This figure could reach 34.5 million people between June and September, the New York-based organization said in a report on Wednesday.  

At the heart of the problem is an increasingly unpredictable climate that's triggered conflict in some areas while floods have displaced more than two million people in Nigeria. While Africa has contributed little to the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet it is one of the hardest hit continents. 

Burkina Faso could be the hardest hit, with 15.9% of the population affected by severe hunger. That compares with 13.1% in Nigeria and 11.1% in Niger.

Extended droughts are causing conflict between farmers and herders over water sources and land. With traditional ways of resolving disputes locally having been disrupted as local leaders are targeted by Islamist militants or armed groups, the conflicts have enabled some groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State to expand their territory, the IRC said. 

One year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the impact is being felt through inflated food prices with the cost of many basic goods across Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso at an all-time high. The region has relied on Russia and Ukraine for imports of wheat and fertilizer. In Chad the prices of a basic basket of food goods needed by a family has risen 59% from what it cost before the crisis worsened, the IRC said, without giving a date

In the city of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso the price of cereals has almost tripled after jihadists cut off all roads leading to the city. 

“People haven't been able to access fields to grow crops and food shops are virtually empty,” according to the IRC. 

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