Ebola Threatens Food Security In West Africa – UN

Written by Kevin Mwanza

Sep 02, 2014

The United Nations is warning that the world’s worst outbreak of the Ebola virus has put harvests at risk and sent food prices soaring in West Africa.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization issued the warning Tuesday in a special alert for Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the three countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak.

The FAO said in those three countries quarantine zones and restrictions on people’s movement aimed at combating the virus have “seriously curtailed the movement and marketing of food.”

The agency said this has led to panic buying, food shortages and major price increases for some commodities, especially in urban areas.

FAO also warned that labor shortages on farms due to movement restrictions and workers leaving for other areas will seriously impact farm production and jeopardize the food security of many people. The main harvest season for two key crops — rice and maize — is only weeks away.

Ebola has killed more than 1,500 people in West Africa this year, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

An FAO regional official, Bukar Tijani, said access to food has become a pressing concern for many people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and their neighboring countries. He said the problem will likely get worse in the coming weeks and months.