The rising cost of food has hit African countries harder than many other regions globally, a new UN report showed.
Food prices grew sharply after both the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which significantly disrupted supply chains and elevated the price of fertilizer imports. A 10% increase in the price of food is associated with a 3.5% rise in moderate or severe food insecurity, the report said. In both Zimbabwe and Sudan, year-on-year inflation peaked at more than 350%.
Higher food prices have also generated significant unrest on the continent in recent years: Deadly protests in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria last year were all connected to the rising cost of living. In Kenya, the demonstrations hampered government efforts to raise taxes, which Nairobi argues is necessary to fight its mounting debt crisis.
