“The worsening situation with the spread of the new coronavirus could trigger a sharp increase in the number of hungry people in West Africa to 50 million people,” said UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) coordinator Kumba Sow , who oversees the region, according to the FAO website.
Sow said that approximately 11 million people are currently starving in West Africa. She believes that a pandemic could cause food prices to rise, leading to even greater shortages. The coordinator noted that the FAO intends to assist farmers suffering from the effects of the pandemic to provide social protection to residents of the region. In addition, the organization plans to monitor the smooth operation of markets.
On April 21, Executive Director of the UN World Food Program, David Beasley, said the world could face massive hunger amid the coronavirus pandemic if food safety measures were not taken.
