Even as the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) awaits word on the progress made so far to push back on its food security challenges, confronting, to varying degrees, most of the member countries of the regional movement, a new report is painting an eye-opening picture of worsening food challenges confronting swathes of countries that extend far beyond the borders of the region.
Late last month, the Global Report on Food Crises, which provides an annual analysis of the scale of acute hunger, globally, asserted that in 2023, almost 282 million people in fifty-nine countries, endured “high levels of acute hunger,” a number that represented an increase of 24 million from the previous year. Of late, according to the report, the worsening food crisis was due in large measure to conflicts that have impaired food availability, particularly in Sudan and the Gaza Strip.