UN warns nearly 50 million people could face hunger next year in West and Central Africa
By SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United Nations is warning that hunger could surge across West and Central Africa next year, primarily driven by violence in the conflict-riddled region. Officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization presented the findings in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. The report is compiled by the U.N. and aid groups. It says nearly 50 million people could face food insecurity and more than 2.5 million will be on the brink of starvation. Climate change and inflation are contributing factors but the main driver of food insecurity is increasing violence, particularly across the Central Sahel — the vast expanse below the Sahara Desert — which has been hardest hit.