FATALITY RATE DUE TO HUNGER IN AFRICAN REGION

Did you think that hunger is just about less food you eat or a rumbling stomach? No. Hunger is
more complicated than empty bellies. It’s a multifaceted problem with many root causes and far-
reaching impact. In fact, world hunger is on the rise, affecting nearly 10% of people globally. From 2019
to 2022, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 150 million, a crisis driven largely by
conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, an overwhelming majority of the
world’s hungry people reside in the developing world, where extreme poverty and lack of access to
nutritious food often leads to malnutrition (ActionAgaintsHunger, 2023).

According to Aikins & McLachlan (2022), Africa has the largest share of extreme poverty rates
globally, with 23 of the world’s poorest 28 countries at extreme poverty rates above 30%. With these
data as evidence, it is evident that Africa is also facing difficulties in regards to hunger. So much so that
Communities across Africa including in Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia are facing the worst food
crisis seen in 40 years. It's the worst crisis in decades - yet it's only just hitting the headlines. In Somalia
alone, 7 million people are on the brink of famine, In the Baidoa and Burhakaba districts, growing
numbers of children are already dying. Parents are being forced to skip meals so that their children can
eat – sometimes not eating for days themselves. Children are being taken out of school to work to earn
money, or to be sent to beg in nearby towns. No one should be forced into making decisions like these.
We know there is a way forward (BritishRedCross, 2022).

One of the solution to feed Africa’s growing population is a modernized agricultural-food

systems. The modernization and regional integration of agricultural-food systems is a possible solution
for eliminating hunger, ensuring sustainable production growth, and inducing broader economic
transformation in Africa (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 2023). With the
modernization of the agricultural sector of Africa as well as free trade in the continent, a rise in the food
supply is imminent and a rise in the economy will also follow raising the economy of Africa. It will only
be possible though if all the politicians and big people in Africa will help in this project and doesn’t abuse
their authority like plundering and corruption which will cause the downfall of Africa.

All in all, modernizing the agricultural sector of Africa so that the yield is bigger is the most
crucial part in this plan. If it will be attained, coupled with the free trade, we can then expect less
stressing Africa. According to Havlik (2022), “Overall, we demonstrate that aligning continental free
trade and local agricultural development policies will be crucial to simultaneously achieve trade, food
security, and climate objectives. Close cooperation between the policy areas of African trade is
therefore crucial,” .
References

https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/the-hunger-crisis/world-hunger-facts/

https://issafrica.org/iss-today/africa-is-losing-the-battle-against-extreme-poverty#:~:text=Africa%20has
%20the%20largest%20share,extreme%20poverty%20rates%20above%2030%25.&text=Using%20the
%20poverty%20line%20of,the%20world's%20rate%20of%2042.8%25.

https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/disasters-and-emergencies/world/africa-hunger-crisis-100-million-
struggling-to-eat#:~:text=We%20are%20fast%20approaching%20a,try%20and%20feed%20their
%20families.

https://iiasa.ac.at/news/aug-2022/sustainable-path-to-eliminate-hunger-in-africa#:~:text=The
%20modernization%20and%20regional%20integration,broader%20economic%20transformation%20in
%20Africa.

Janssens, C., Havlík, P., Boere E., Palazzo, A., Mosnier, A., Leclère, D., Balkovic, J., Maertens, M. (2022). A
sustainable future for Africa through continental free trade and agricultural development. Nature Food
DOI:10.1038/s43016-022-00572-1 [pure.iiasa.ac.at/18163/]