Acute food insecurity: Afghanistan at highest concern level

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations food agencies have warned that 22 countries, including Afghanistan, are likely to face acute food insecurity from June to November 2023.

In a fresh report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) issued the early warning in 18 hunger hotspots – comprising a total of 22 countries – from June to November 2023.

Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest concern level. Haiti, the Sahel (Burkina Faso and Mali) and the Sudan have been elevated to the highest concern levels; this is due to severe movement restrictions of people and goods in Haiti, as well as in Burkina Faso and Mali, and the recent eruption of conflict in the Sudan.

Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern, and the warning is also extended to Myanmar in this edition. All these hotspots have a high number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life‐threatening conditions in the coming months.

Lebanon, El Salvador and Nicaragua have been added to the list of hunger hotspot countries, since the September 2022 edition. Malawi, Guatemala and Honduras remain hunger hotspot countries.

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