UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a grave warning regarding the impending food insecurity in the Horn of Africa region.
On Tuesday, WFP said the insecurity could more than double in the next three months as COVID-19 continues to spread and ravage countries in the region.
According to WFP’s estimates, over 20 million people in the region lack secure food provisions. Among the worst hit countries are Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
Compared to other countries around the world, the East African nations have contained the spread of COVID-19.
Nevertheless, WFP believes that they are more susceptible to the virulent disease and its attendant effects because of their weaker economies and poor healthcare systems.
Additionally, WFP also cites its inability to attract enough funding to ensure that such an outcome does not hit Somalia or any of the countries in the region.