Climate Crisis -FAO Lists African Countries Where 60m Will Battle Hunger..

Climate crisis is worsening living conditions in African countries, and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has listed African countries where an estimated 60 million people will battle hunger this year.

In other words, an estimated 6o million people would be exposed to hunger and associated diseases.

The Eagle reports that the global body on food safety and development gave the alert today, during an online media conference, giving specific reasons why.

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WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, gave the main reason as climate crisis, saying it now determined major factors determining human health outcomes.

According to him, the wave of hunger in the African region is being driven by the same climate crisis, foisting migration and disease, and is putting a major strain on health services.

FAO lists African countries where 6o million will battle hunger to include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

“This year, nearly 60 million people are food insecure across the greater Horn of Africa, which includes seven countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

“Over the coming months, we expect a range of extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves, all of which harm human health.

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“El Niño, which has now been announced by the World Meteorological Organisation, together with global warming is already driving record temperatures,’’ he said.

The WHO boss also provided a perspective on malaria, expressing pleasure the announcement of allocation of 18 million doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine to 12 countries in Africa.

That came off the collaboration of Gavi, globally reckoned as the Vaccine Alliance and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Backgrounding on the climate crisis changing weather patterns, he said the mosquitoes that carry these diseases are increasing in density and spreading further.

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“Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, killing nearly half a million children under the age of 5 every year, and accounting for approximately 96 per cent of global malaria deaths in 2021.

“As the first vaccine against malaria, the RTS,S vaccine has now been delivered to more than 1.6 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi,’’ he said, adding that at least 28 African countries have expressed interest in receiving the RTS,S vaccine.