African regional overview of food security and nutrition 2023 :statistics and trends

Abstract

Africa is facing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. Millions are expected to be at risk of worsening hunger soon due to the rippling effects of the war in Ukraine, which are compounding the devastating impacts that conflicts, climate variability and extremes, economic slowdowns and downturns, and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic are having on the most vulnerable. Despite efforts made in several countries, the African continent is not on track to meet the food security and nutrition targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 on Zero Hunger for 2030, and certainly the Malabo targets of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2025. Progress towards achieving the global nutrition targets by 2030 remains slow. In addition to hunger, millions of Africans suffer from widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Overweight and obesity are already significant public health concerns in many countries. The present edition of the report presents the latest analysis of the prevalence and trends in undernourishment, food insecurity and malnutrition. In addition, it includes, for the first time, estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet, which are useful indicators of people’s economic access to nutritious foods and healthy diets.