Rising prices have contributed to triggering a food crisis in West and Central Africa. Various United Nations humanitarian organisations fear that almost 55 million people will have difficulties feeding themselves in the coming months.

The number of people suffering from hunger during the dry season from June to August has quadrupled in the last five years. The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) pointed out that economic challenges such as double-digit inflation and stagnating local production had become the main causes of the crisis, exacerbated by the recurring conflicts in the region.

The most affected countries include Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Mali, the organisations said in a joint statement. The region's heavy dependence on food imports has exacerbated the situation, especially for countries with high inflation such as Ghana, Nigeria and others.

Action must be taken now to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control, said Margot Vandervelden, Acting WFP Regional Director for West Africa. According to her, measures to increase local food production in particular are absolutely essential.