Eastern Africa lawmakers agree to back actions to avert food crisis in the region

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Eastern African parliamentarians have agreed to support climate actions from governments and relevant organizations to avert food crises and malnutrition in the sub-region.

In joint statement issued Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, the Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition said the region is “particularly vulnerable” and experiences cascading effects on food security, nutrition, poverty and livelihoods.

“Climate change leads to a breakdown of food systems, resulting in loss of rural livelihoods, income, and ecosystems,” The parliamentarians added in the statement released after attending the fifth general assembly meeting organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The meeting discussed current legal and policy issues and gaps related to climate action and food systems transformation in the sub-region, as well as opportunities and priority actions, including policy options and financing mechanisms, to advance this crucial agenda in Eastern Africa.

According to recent FAO data for 2023, 135 million people in eastern Africa are undernourished, almost half of the 282 million undernourished people in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Some 22 million children under the age of 5 years are stunted, and 362 million people, representing 85 percent of the region’s population, cannot afford a healthy diet”, FAO said.

The Eastern Africa Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, established in April 2019 in Arusha, Tanzania, comprises members of Parliament from Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

– Additional reporting by agencies.