As the African Union prepared to launch a fresh campaign for member states to fulfil their remaining obligations on implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCTA) seen as critical in raising economies, the continental body may have to first drive something other than just exchange of goods and services.
Ednews.net informs that a situational report by Oxfam said on Friday more Africans had been pushed into food insecurity territory in the past year, incidentally as the continental body was discussing nutrition in 2021.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, the Africa director at Oxfam says lack of political will has seen countries avoid obligations of providing adequate food to their populations, something that could eventually hurt the ambitions for trade.
Since January 2021, Oxfam, citing data from organisations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says 20 million more people — a size of the continent equivalent to entire populations of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana combined — were pushed to severe hunger.
Undernourished
Another 20 percent of the continent is undernourished while 55 million children aged below five are stunted, an indication of severe malnutrition.
ADVERTISEMENT
The East AfricanNewsRest Of Africa
AU raises hunger for trade amid growing drought, food insecurity
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18 2023
A man ferries water to his home in Kenya’s drought-hit Marsabit
A man ferries water to his home in Kenya’s drought-hit Marsabit County on February 10, 2023. Since January 2021, Oxfam says 20 million more people were pushed to severe hunger. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG
ADVERTISEMENT
imageBy The EastAfrican
More by this Author
As the African Union prepared to launch a fresh campaign for member states to fulfil their remaining obligations on implementing the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCTA) seen as critical in raising economies, the continental body may have to first drive something other than just exchange of goods and services.
A situational report by Oxfam said on Friday more Africans had been pushed into food insecurity territory in the past year, incidentally as the continental body was discussing nutrition in 2021.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, the Africa director at Oxfam says lack of political will has seen countries avoid obligations of providing adequate food to their populations, something that could eventually hurt the ambitions for trade.
Since January 2021, Oxfam, citing data from organisations like the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says 20 million more people — a size of the continent equivalent to entire populations of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana combined — were pushed to severe hunger.
“The hunger African people are facing today is a direct result of inadequate political choices. In a year marred with global inflation and climate disasters, African leaders should have stepped up to their responsibility”, N’Zi-Hassane said on Friday as African Union heads of state and government made their way to Addis Ababa for the AU Summit.
“African leaders must also take serious steps to free up intra-continental trade to help local farmers. They must equally ramp up programmes to help people rebuild their lives and cope with recurrent climatic shocks,” she added.
As this was happening, six million people in 32 Kenyan counties were said to be food insecure as drought escalates in the country, said the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) in its latest update released on Thursday.
Prolonged drought
The assessment conducted from January 11 to February 10 said that prolonged drought has worsened the hunger crisis in Kenya’s arid counties, threatening stability and cohesion. Linked to the fifth consecutive failed rain season, impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, high cost of farm input and fall armyworm infestation, the grim food and water security situation in Kenya is expected to prolong until the onset of the March-May long rain season, NDMA warned.
Last week, AU leaders gathered in Addis Ababa under the theme “The year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.”
Albert Muchanga, the AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, says the theme is meant to generate political will as the AU and all its organs will prioritise trade.
“It will serve to mobilise solutions and solidarity to turn that vision into reality,” he said. “(Its) interlinkage with member states, AU bodies, private sector actors, development partners, and other stakeholders, who have important roles to play to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA.”
Mr Muchanga added that all efforts must be thrown into making the pact a success.
“Right now, it (AfCFTA) is Africa’s biggest development program and hence we are accelerating implementation of the agreement, establishing the African continental free trade area. We cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to relax,” Muchanga said.
Free movement of persons
Speaking at a briefing in Addis Ababa, he said AfCFTA would help Africa realise a continental market with free movement of persons, capital, goods and services to deepen economic integration, promote agricultural development, food security, industrialization and structural economic transformation.
A bulletin issued ahead of the Summit said trade will present an opportunity for job creation and elevate 30 million people from extreme poverty and another 68 million from moderate poverty, raising incomes by $450 billion across the continent.
“It’s a gamechanger. Africa is accelerating the implementation of AfCFTA,” the AU bulletin proclaimed, announcing programmes to gradually eliminate tariffs on 90 percent of goods and a reduction of further barriers,” read the bulletin.
