Share

Food prices up sharply in Ebola-hit countries

Geneva - Food prices have risen by an average of 24% across the three countries worst hit by the Ebola outbreak, forcing some families to reduce their intake to one meal a day, a World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson said on Friday.

The food-producing regions of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa have been severely affected by the worst outbreak on record of the viral haemorrhagic fever that has killed nearly 4 500 people.

Infection rates in the food-producing zones of Kenema and Kailahun in Sierra Leone, Lofa and Bong County in Liberia and Guéckédou in Guinea are among the highest in the region. Hundreds of farmers have died.

Decisions by the three governments to quarantine districts and restrict movements to contain the spread of the virus have also disrupted markets and led to food scarcity and panic buying, further pushing up prices, WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have said.

"Prices have risen by an average of 24%," said WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs, adding an assessment of major markets showed the price of basic commodities was rising in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and in neighbouring Senegal.

In the Liberian capital Monrovia, prices of cassava and imported rice, the main staple food, have increased by 30%.

"Planting and harvesting is being disrupted with implications for food supply further down the line. There is a high risk that prices will continue to increase during the coming harvest season," Byrs told Reuters.

Byrs said WFP was carrying out a food security survey remotely using mobile phones to investigate the impact of the crisis on 2 400 families across the three countries.

The first round of the survey of 800 people in Sierra Leone's eastern districts of Kailahun and Kenema showed that people are worse off in terms of food security, despite being the main producing areas.

"The survey showed that certain families have cut down to one meal a day or that people are eating food that costs less, such as cassava instead of rice," she said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
24.12
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.63
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.40
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.3%
Platinum
911.84
-1.3%
Palladium
1,018.92
-4.4%
Gold
2,161.29
+0.0%
Silver
25.11
+0.3%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,430
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders