Refugees in Africa face hunger and malnutrition as COVID-19 exacerbates food shortages: UNHCR, WFP
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are warning that millions of refugees across Africa may be without food, due to the confluence of underfunding, conflicts, and the affects of COVID-19, including rising food prices and unemployment.
According to Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, millions of refugees across the continent rely on regular aid for their food needs. Among them, “Around half are children, who may develop life-long difficulties if deprived of food at vital stages in their development,” said Grandi.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization, is currently providing food assistance to more than 10 million refugees across the globe. But the agency is struggling to meet rising demand.
COVID-19 is leaving many refugees without work and without a safety net. Some refugees in urban areas were employed in the informal sector before the coronavirus pandemic. Through hard work, they were able to sustain themselves. But work opportunities have dried up as the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life. The number of refugees who rely on food aid is only expected to grow, just as aid agencies face their own financial problems.
In Uganda’s Bidibidi settlement, one of the world’s largest refugee camps with more than 270,000 people, rations were reduced by 30 percent in April due to lack of funding. Low funding has also forced the WFP to reduce its assistance to refugees from the Central African Republic living in Cameroon by 50 percent in May and June. More cuts and rationing are expected in the future if the agencies fail to raise more funds.
“While the situation continues to deteriorate for everyone, the disaster is magnified for refugees who have absolutely nothing to cushion their fall,” said David Beasley, WFP Executive Director. “In the best of times, refugees live in cramped conditions, struggle to meet their basic needs and often have no option but to rely on outside assistance for their survival. Now more than ever, they need our lifesaving support.”