The World Food Programme’s Food Security Monitor report for July 2024 highlights a disturbing escalation in food insecurity in Ghana.
The report identified a rise in the rate of insufficient food consumption (IFC) by 5.77%.
The report attributes this to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, fuelled by persistently high inflation, a weakening currency, and soaring fuel prices.
The report stated that these factors have inflated the cost of essential commodities, particularly staples such as maize and rice.
The WFP had also made projections about these issues in its February report and March 2024 analysis. An estimated 1.05 million Ghanaians were expected to experience food insecurity between June and August 2024.
Climate change, low agricultural prices, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to education, compounded by Ghana’s vulnerability to global market shifts, especially in the case of imported rice, are some of the factors.
The report added that the rate of IFC remained stable in most countries between June and July; Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda saw increases of 5.77%, 3.98%, and 7.5%, respectively.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, reported a 5.45% decrease.
On a year-over-year basis, the majority of countries have witnessed an increase in IFC, with exceptions being Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, where current levels are lower than those recorded a year ago.
The report also indicated that several nations are food insecurity hotspots—where more than half of the population faces IFC—including Burkina Faso (56.6%), Mali (69.1%), Niger (82.6%), and Nigeria (51.5%).
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
