A Hunger pandemic could be the worst outcome of Covid-19 in the world’s poorest regions

According to a report by the World Food Programme (WFP), the economic and social disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19 has significantly increased the risk of a hunger pandemic in the poorest regions of the world. The latest figures reported by the WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, estimates that over 265 billion people could be suffering from acute hunger by the end of 2020.

For contrast, this number can be compared to the 135 million predicted by the Global Report on Food Crises 2020 which was written up before Covid-19 emerged as a global pandemic. The almost doubling of the projection for worldwide acute hunger by the end of the year is a stark warning of how devastating the impact of this virus could be.

Not only is the virus leading to job losses, plunging many workers below the poverty line (a line which most were barely above before), it is also having a devastating impact on global supply chains, and thus the invaluable imports of food.

Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa already rely on importing food staples such as maize and wheat as they are unable to domestically produce the quantities needed to feed their populations. With global supply chains breaking down and trade flows coming to a halt, this will lead to huge food shortages in many developing countries across Africa and the Middle East.

The combination of food shortages, and thus upward pressure on prices, as well as the loss of income due to business closures and weak demand, will be devastating for millions of people.

The WFP is doing everything they can to combat this crisis, but it will take a huge humanitarian effort from both the public and private sector to feed those who are most in need, and avoid not only hunger, but the likely death toll which will follow from starvation.