Since the emergence of COVID-19 and the war between Russia and Ukraine, the ECOWAS authorities have devised several means to curb inflation and poverty which has resulted in positive food production.
But unfortunately, the region still records about 29.5 million people who are in dire need of food emergency and nutritional assistance due to persistent insecurity emanating from farmer headers clashes, and banditry amongst others.
In a report of the state of the community presented by the ECOWAS Commission’s President Omar Touray at the ongoing first Ordinary session organized by the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital, said these figures could increase proportionately to 42.5 million during the lean season between June and August 2023 if measures are not taken urgently to lessen the burden.
He therefore lamented the rate at which the shock of food crisis could heighten acute malnutrition of children under the age of five in Nigeria, Niger Burkina Faso as well as other ECOWAS countries.
Omar however, called on all actors in food and nutrition management to surmount the trend of resources to finance scarcity to scale up response plans.
