Sign in Subscribe
Food supply

Zimbabwe Removed from UN Hunger Hotspots List Amid Improving Climates and Harvests

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Zimbabwe has been removed from the United Nations' hunger hotspots list due to improved climatic conditions and better harvests this year. In contrast, Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali have been identified as worsening hunger hotspots. The joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) highlights the fragile nature of food security, with gains in some regions potentially reversing quickly if new shocks emerge.

Key Takeaways:

  • Zimbabwe's removal from the hunger hotspots list is attributed to improved climatic conditions and better harvests, with maize production estimated at 2,293,556 tonnes, a significant increase from the previous season.
  • FAO and WFP warn that the gains in food security are fragile and could reverse quickly if new shocks emerge, emphasizing the need for urgent humanitarian action and a coordinated international response.
  • Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali are hotspots of highest concern, with communities facing famine, risk of famine, or catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity due to conflict, economic shocks, and natural hazards.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has returned as a hunger hotspot to watch, with a serious deterioration of acute food insecurity projected in 13 countries and territories over the next five months.
  • Yemen, the DRC, Myanmar, and Nigeria are now hotspots of very high concern, requiring urgent attention to save lives and livelihoods.
  • The Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, village business units, and investments in irrigation have been prioritized by the Zimbabwean Government to improve food and nutritional security.

Statistics:

  • Maize production in Zimbabwe is estimated at 2,293,556 tonnes, a quadrupling of food crop production from the previous season.
  • Traditional grain production is estimated at 634,650 tonnes, with 188,261 tonnes of pearl millet and 9,605 tonnes of finger millet.
  • 13 countries and territories are projected to experience a serious deterioration of acute food insecurity over the next five months.
  • The estimated number of people at risk of famine in Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali is not specified in the report.

Sources:

  • FAO and WFP Joint Report
  • United Nations Report
  • Global Network Against Food Crises, with financial support from the European Union.

Read more