Mothers wait for high nutrition foods and health services at Tawkal 2 Dinsoor camp for internally displaced persons in Baidoa, Somalia, on 14 February 2022. Photo: YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
Dear African leaders,
Ending hunger has been one of the greatest challenges of our times and the devastating events from the past two years have intensified food insecurity.
In 2021, a staggering 278 million Africans – 1 in 5 people – were affected by malnutrition. The invasion of Ukraine has further increased these conditions.
Back-to-back emergencies aggravated by climate change, conflict, and a pandemic are affecting people across our continent. Many now face starvation, children are not getting the nutrients they need to grow to their full potential, and year-on-year droughts have caused failed harvests, making it hard for African farmers to grow food and for the continent to become self-sufficient.
The good news is that immediate action by you can make a difference.
In 2014, African leaders developed a framework – the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to enhance agricultural production and bring about food security on the continent. This was a critical step in recognising how important the sector is for economic growth and to reduce poverty.
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However, right now, we desperately need you to meet your commitments for the future of the continent. The G20 Summit and COP27 are taking place in a few weeks and achieving global cooperation on food security would be a major win.
Ahead of them, we are calling on you to urgently act to:
Act now so that everyone across our beautiful continent can have enough food to live and thrive now and in the future.
With hope,
NOMZAMO MBATHA
AMEYAW DEBRAH
ESTHER CHUNGU
THANDI VUNDAMINA
NATASHA VANDERMAAS
DARKOVIBES
BERLA MUNDI
SARKODIE
SLAP DEE
GYAKIE
SABRINA DHOWRE ELBA
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