UN concerned over food shortages in Ebola-hit nations

DAKAR: The UN warned on Tuesday of “grave food security concerns” in the west African countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak as the deadly epidemic caused labour shortages and disrupted cross-border trade. Restrictions on movement in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has led to panic buying, food shortages and severe price hikes, especially in towns and cities, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said. “Access to food has become a pressing concern for many people in the three affected countries and their neighbors,” said Bukar Tijani, FAO Regional Representative for Africa. “With the main harvest now at risk and trade and movements of goods severely restricted, food insecurity is poised to intensify in the weeks and months to come. “The situation will have long-lasting impacts on farmers’ livelihoods and rural economies.” The Ebola outbreak has killed 1,552 people and infected 3,062, according to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO). At current infection rates, the WHO fears it could take six to nine months and at least $490 million (373 million euros) to bring the outbreak under control, by which time over 20,000 people could be affected. The food security alert was sounded as the WHO announced a separate Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed 31 people, although it added that the contagion was confined to an area around 800 km north of Kinshasa. The outbreak began in Guinea, spread to neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia and also has appeared in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country. Senegal closed its border with Guinea last month to contain Ebola, slowing trade between the two countries. Six people have died in Nigeria, where the first case was a Liberian man who flew into Lagos, the country’s largest city. “With the main harvest now at risk and trade and movements of good severely restricted, food insecurity is poised to intensify in the weeks and months to come,” Bukar Tijani, the FAO’s regional representative for Africa, was cited as saying in the statement. The World Food Program has started a regional emergency operation to bring about 65,000 metric tons of food to 1.3 million people, the FAO wrote. Measures to revive internal trade are “essential” to ease supply constraints and mitigate further food-price increases, according to the agency.   Arab News