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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 6 april 2022
West Africa has worst food crisis in decade, aid groups say

By CARLEY PETESCH up to 30% in West Africa,
Associated Press it said. Global prices have
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — risen as trade has been
West Africa is facing its interrupted by the war in
worst food crisis in a de- Ukraine, according to the
cade due to increasing U.N. Food and Agriculture
conflicts, droughts, floods Organization. Wheat avail-
and the war in Ukraine, ability will also be greatly
nearly a dozen interna- affected in six West Afri-
tional organizations said can countries that import
in a report Tuesday. The at least 30% of their wheat
number of West Africans from Russia and Ukraine,
needing emergency food it said. The crisis in Europe
assistance has nearly qua- is also resulting in funding
drupled from 7 million in cuts to aid in Africa and $4
2015 to 27 million this year billion is needed to provide
in nations including Burkina adequate support to the
Faso, Niger, Chad, Mali continent, the report said.
and Nigeria, where thou- “Ukraine is receiving the
sands have also been dis- right level of solidarity and
placed because of rising care, this level should be
Islamic extremist violence, the standard for responses
the report said. That num- to all crises, everywhere
ber could jump to 38 million Young girls stand in a field of millet outside the remote village of Hawkantaki, Niger, July 19, 2012. else,” said Moumouni Kin-
by June if action isn’t taken Associated Press da, director-general of
soon to help people in the are running out. Drought, and Central Africa. the problem, being forced ALIMA. The appeal comes
Sahel, the sweeping region floods, conflict, and the Children are suffering into early marriage or fac- before a conference on
south of the Sahara Desert, economic impacts of CO- deeply, with estimates by ing gender-based violence the Sahel on Wednesday
the groups warned. VID-19 have forced millions the United Nations saying as food becomes scarcer, which Oxfam’s Sidi said
“Cereal production in of people off their land, that some 6.3 million chil- the 11 international organi- will be “a unique opportu-
some parts of the Sahel pushing them to the brink” dren 5 years and under zations said. Drought and nity to mobilize the neces-
has dropped by about according to Assalama will be acutely malnour- poor rainfall distribution sary emergency food and
a third compared to last Dawalack Sidi, Oxfam’s ished this year. Young girls have reduced the food nutrition assistance and
year. Family food supplies regional director for West will also face the brunt of sources in many communi- to prove that the lives of
ties in the central Sahel re- people in Africa are not
Peru imposes curfew to quell gion, the report said. Food worth less than those in
prices have increased by Europe.”q
protests over rising prices

By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Associated Press
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s
capital city and main port
were under a tight curfew
on Tuesday decreed by
President Pedro Castillo
in response to sometimes
violent protests over rising
prices of fuel and food.
Major highways and street
markets appeared almost
deserted, with troops join-
ing police in the streets
under terms of a state of Drivers wait on the Central Highway in traffic created by
emergency that restricts truckers and bus drivers blocking the road in Huaycan on the
rights to movement and outskirts of Lima, Peru, Monday, April 4, 2022.
gatherings and against ar- Associated Press
bitrary searches.
Castillo announced the nomic situation, brother,” week had led to four
curfew, which resembled said Juan Gutiérrez, a deaths, highway block-
the tightest lockdowns of 45-year-old father of four ades, the burning of toll
the COVID-19 pandemic, who had been waiting stations and small-scale
shortly before midnight. in vain for a bus for more looting.
The decree exempted than an hour so he could Castillo said the distur-
essential services such as get to a clothing work- bances had caused “wor-
food markets, pharma- shop where he is paid by ry among workers, moth-
cies, clinics and trash col- the piece.”Do you know ers and the population
lection. But there was no what it means to lose a in general” and imposed
bus service. day? We have to work to the curfew to “reestab-
“It’s a shame. We’re ex- eat,” he added. lish peace and internal
periencing a terrible eco- Protests over the past order.”q