A total of 45 countries, including 33 in Africa, need food assistance from other countries, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a new report.
The UN has linked the need for food aid to African countries to different types of causes, categorizing them into exceptional shortfalls in overall food production, widespread lack of access, and severe localized food insecurity.
In the first category, FAO placed the Central African Republic, citing conflict in the country and high food prices, Kenya (extreme weather), Somalia, citing drought conditions, and conflict-ridden Sudan.
The report placed Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia - a total of 21 African countries - in the severe localized food insecurity group.
Reasons for food insecurity range from high food prices and extreme weather to macroeconomic challenges, conflict in some countries, and flooding, according to the report. The UN warned that drought is expected to worsen food insecurity in Southern Africa.
The UN report also listed nine countries in Asia, two in Latin America, and one in Europe as nations in need of external food aid.
Earlier, the Russian embassy said that Moscow handed over humanitarian aid in the form of 50,000 tonnes of wheat to the Central African Republic. Later, Russian Ambassador to Bangui, Alexander Bikantov, told Sputnik that Moscow is not yet planning any new supplies of wheat to the CAR.