World Bank: Political Instability, Geopolitical Tensions could Make 105 Million Africans Food Insecure

The World Bank has stated that over 105 million people are at risk of food insecurity in Africa due to conflicts and climate shocks.

The World Bank’s latest Africa Pulse further reported that political instability and geopolitical tensions are weighing on economic activities and might constrain access to food for an estimated 105 million people.

The report is coming at a time when most African countries are still relying on imports to meet their food needs.

“African governments’ fiscal positions remain vulnerable to global economic disruptions, necessitating policy actions to build buffers to prevent or cope with future shocks,” the World Bank added.

The report also highlighted that external resources to meet gross financing needs of African governments are shrinking, “and those available are costlier than they were prior to the pandemic.”

“What is more, inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the highest in the world, second only to the Latin America and Caribbean region, as measured by the region’s average Gini coefficient. Access to basic services, such as schooling or healthcare, remains highly unequal despite recent improvements. Disparities also exist in access to markets and income-generating activities, irrespective of people’s skills. Taxes and poorly targeted subsidies may also have an outsized impact on the poor,” the report added.

The report called for several policy actions to foster stronger and more equitable growth. These include restoring macroeconomic stability, promoting inter-generational mobility, supporting market access, and ensuring that fiscal policies do not overburden the poor.

The report, however, pointed out that increased private consumption and declining inflation are supporting an