Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, an estimated 2.8 million people, or nearly 40% of the population in the English-speaking Caribbean is food insecure—1 million more than in April 2020—and the situation is further compounded by rising food prices and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This is according to a press release from United Nations Guyana, which said a survey has found that severe food insecurity continues to increase in the Region with the current figure being 72% higher when compared to April 2020.
The survey conducted by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) the release said, found deteriorating food consumption and diets with 25% of respondents eating less preferred foods, 30% skipping meals or eating less than usual and 5% going an entire day without eating in the week leading up to the survey which it says have all been attributed to the lasting impact of the pandemic.
According to the release, WFP Representative and Country Director for the Caribbean Multi-Country Office, Regis Chapman, said that “an import dependent region, the Caribbean continues to feel the socio-economic strain of COVID-19 which is now being compounded by the conflict in Ukraine.”
“With most COVID-19 assistance programmes having concluded, many families are expected to face an even greater challenge to meet their basic food and other essential needs in the months to come,” the release quoted him as saying.
High food prices the release said, also continue to affect people’s ability to afford a nutritious diet, with 93% of respondents reporting higher prices for food compared to 59% in April 2020; while also adding that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine is expected to create an even deeper impact on the cost of basic goods and services in the Caribbean.
According to the release, Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development Pro-gramme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat, Shaun Baugh, has said that assessing the impact of the pandemic on the livelihoods and food security of more than 20,000 respondents over the past two years, has provided the Secretariat with “invaluable” data which is now being used to inform regional priorities in the short and medium term.
“In the short to medium term, it is increasing pressure on governments to identify solutions to ensure families can meet their essential needs,” the release said, while stating that “innovation in agri-food systems and regional supply chains, coupled with continued support to the most vulnerable households, will be essential to improving the resilience of regional food systems so that prices can be kept as stable as possible.”
CARICOM, WFP and other partners the release said, continue to work together to increase resilience to shocks through stronger disaster management, social protection and food systems that are more effective, sustainable and responsive in meeting the needs of those most affected by crises.
The release said that the survey was supported by the European Union and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.
