Ensuring food security is the most difficult challenge in Africa, where out of 86 countries
classified as low-income and food deficient, 43 of them are just in Africa. Africa is about a
quarter of the size of Brazil. However, poverty in most African countries is higher than
anywhere else in the developing world, with about 45% of sub-Saharan Africa living on less
than a dollar a day. Moreover, the number of malnourished children under the age of five
in northern sub-Saharan Africa has increased by 20% (or 6.7 million children) and those
who suffer from acute malnutrition under the age of five in West and Central Africa have
increased to 15 million children. In addition, the number of children suffering from wasting
(severe and moderate) has increased to 7.3 million children.
Causes of food insecurity
There are many reasons for food insecurity in Africa, including household food insecurity,
maternal malnutrition, and infant feeding methods, conflict and armed violence,
population displacement, high levels of childhood diseases and water-borne diseases such
as diarrhea, poor health systems, difficulty in accessing clean water and sanitation, chronic
diseases, the impact of severe climate change on agricultural productivity, and poverty.
Impact of population growth and unemployment on food insecurity
In 2018, Africa had a population of 1.2 billion. This growth will not help meet the needs of
millions of its youth who have reached working age and are expected to enter the labor
market in large numbers until 2030. In addition to the fact that Africa’s population is
expected to double by 2050. Therefore, these serious challenges and threats must be taken
into account in any discussion of long-term economic transformation in Africa. Especially
since the unemployment rate is increasing in Africa (South Africa (28.5%), sub-Saharan Africa (6.2%), Swaziland (22%), Lesotho (22.8%), Namibia (20.6%), and Botswana
(18.7%)). In addition, the Coronavirus pandemic led to more than 51 million other people
living with a malnutrition crisis and increased the level of child malnutrition to
unprecedented levels.
Based on the information provided above concerning the problem of food insecurity in
Africa, we at Afrika Hayat Foundation (AHAD) are striving to reduce this problem and
alleviate the suffering of needy families in Africa by providing a series of projects to be
implemented during Ramadan month 1442 A.H. and we kindly ask you to contribute to
support these projects.
