Nearly 45 million people in 13 countries in southern Africa are food-insecure as a result of drought, floods and the impact of coronavirus. The tally has risen almost 10 percent over last year, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said.
"Common climate-induced shocks ... economic challenges and poverty have been further exacerbated by the devastating impact of COVID-19 on communities," it said. Coronavirus restrictions have badly affected business activity, jobs and remittances. "This has been particularly evident in the urban poor, who rely heavily on livelihoods from the informal sector and local markets," it said. "It is likely that the projected number of the food insecure will rise further."
Some 8.4 million children are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition across the region in 2020, of whom 2.3 million will require life-saving treatment, it said. School closures since March have hit youngsters who depend on school meals for nutrition, it said.
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