What's New

The armed conflict that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 has had severe implications for the country's economy. With disruptions in infrastructure, trade, and agricultural activities, the conflict has led to scarcity of goods, increased food prices, and reduced economic growth.

Limited access to nutritious food has been a perennial problem for many in Somalia, and the country faces great challenges in sustaining improved nutrition for the most vulnerable. Increasingly frequent climate change related droughts and floods, locust infestations, the global COVID19 pandemic and persistent conflict have all resulted in Somalia having some of the highest rates of acute malnutrition and worst levels of micronutrient deficiencies in the world.

While the record-breaking drought of 2020-2023 has eased and conflict in the region has largely ended, Ethiopia remains in need of significant humanitarian and food aid, according to a May report from FEWS Net. Populations in the northern Tigray region and the southeastern Oromia and Somalia regions continue to experience IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and Phase 4 (Emergency) food insecurity, which could worsen even further in the upcoming lean season.

Context

In February 2022, war erupted between Russia and Ukraine. These two countries account for about 12 percent of the total calories traded in the world, raising serious concerns about the implications for global food security. Although it is too early to draw a conclusion regarding the world’s capacity to absorb these stressors, past trends, early macroeconomic impacts, and policy responses can provide a glimpse of possible impacts.

With multiple crises plaguing food systems across the globe, Africa south of the Sahara remains particularly hard hit. As a result, policymakers and development partners in the region are faced with the need to balance sometimes conflicting priorities: ending hunger and reducing poverty, making diets healthier and more affordable, improving the productivity and livelihoods of smallholder households, and adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.