Western and Central Africa
Western and Central Africa continue to face protracted insecurity and political instability, with conflicts in Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, the Niger and Nigeria), and persistent armed violence in Central African countries such as in the Central African Republic. The impacts of such challenges are compounded by climate extremes, disease outbreaks and economic crises, including due to the socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Extreme poverty in the region has increased and the combined effects of these factors have led to a deterioration of food insecurity and malnutrition, especially in conflict-affected areas. This includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo – still the world’s largest food crisis.
News
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News
FAO and WFP early warning report reveals worsening hunger in 13 hotspots; five with immediate risk of starvation
16/06/2025
Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali remain hotspots of highest concern, and Democratic Republic of the Congo has returned as a hunger hotspot...
News
Acute food insecurity and malnutrition rise for sixth consecutive year in world’s most fragile regions – new report
16/05/2025
In 2024, over 295 million people across 53 countries and territories faced acute hunger—an increase of almost 14 million people compared to 2023, while...
News
Desert locust movements in Northwest Africa raise concern amid spring breeding season
29/04/2025
FAO calls to enhance monitoring and initiate early control measures in affected countries
Publications
Publications
Subregional West Afraica: Project Highlights - OSRO/SFW/006/USA
12/2024
The Government of the United States of America, through the United States Agency for International Development – Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance,...
Publications
Cabo Verde: Project Highlights - OSRO/CVI/054/ROK
12/2024
The Republic of Korea funded FAO's project OSRO/CVI/054/ROK entitled “Safeguarding food security and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations...
Publications
Nigeria: DIEM – Data in Emergencies Monitoring brief, round 7
12/2024
This Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM-Monitoring) brief shares the results of a seventh-round assessment conducted in September 2024 in Nigeria.
Multimedia
Photo Collection
Sierra Leone: Building resilient communities through climate-smart and market-driven production for improved
22/01/2025
View this gallery on Flickr
Photo Collection
Cameroon: Improving food security by supporting the productivity of smallholder farmers
19/05/2025
View this gallery on Flickr.
Photo Collection
Nigeria: DIEM-Monitoring Agricultural inputs survey, round 1
08/07/2024
View this gallery on Flickr.
Mehaou – A Nigerien Grandmother and farmer
11/02/2020
This video tells the story of Mehaou, an inspiring Nigerien farmer and grandmother who has overcome many challenges to provide for her family - including rearing, breeding and selling goats
Action Against Desertification - Sudan
08/02/2021
Action Against Desertification is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to restore drylands and degraded lands in Africa,
Andrea Berloffa, FAO Yemen, visits an animal vaccination campaign
27/08/2021
Andrea Berloffa, Senior Emergency and Resilience Coordinator, FAO Yemen, takes us to an animal vaccination campaign in the village of Qusailah.
FAO empowers young Syrians with knowledge on digital agriculture
18/05/2022
FAO, through its Smallholder Support Programme, has introduced digital agriculture to Syrians to promote innovation and digitalization
FAO, IFAD and WFP interventions in Niger
08/06/2022
By rehabilitating a water pond and stocking it with fish, FAO, IFAD and WFP have contributed to improve the food security of local communities.
Action Against Desertification - Burkina Faso
08/01/2020
Action Against Desertification is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to restore drylands and degraded lands in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific
Gender equality and women empowerment in food and agriculture
16/11/2020
In Chadakori, Niger, the women of the Dimitra clubs piloted free sessions of training on composting techniques
Saving livelihoods and building farmers’ resilience in Nigeria
11/10/2021
As some parts of northeast Nigeria start recording relative stability, more farmers are returning to their villages.
Bringing microfinance to rural areas in Mali to improve women's lives
08/03/2022
A micro-credit scheme for rural areas in Mali has been decisive in making a real impact on women
Pastoralist livelihood and education field schools in South Sudan
20/06/2020
In South Sudan, FAO and UNESCO, with support from the European Union, are providing literacy and numeracy lessons for nomadic pastoralists living in cattle camps.
Support beekeepers to restore honey production in Yemen
19/05/2022
The livelihoods of Yemeni beekeepers have been severely disrupted by ongoing conflict and economic shocks.
Abdulla Tobal builds a fodder pressing device to help his neighbors
20/04/2022
Abdullah Tobal, a smallholder herder from Tal Hasel in As-Sfira, Aleppo Governorate, had an idea to build a press to preserve fodder after he attended one of FAO’s farmer field schools
Helping drought-affected people protect their livelihood in Somalia
10/05/2022
Rural communities in Somalia are hit hard by the severe drought the country is facing. This is causing them irreversible losses and threatening both their lives and livelihood
Impact of war in Ukraine on global food security
13/04/2022
The war in Ukraine is compromising global food security
FAO's response to global food security risks due to war in Ukraine - Interview with Maximo Torero
28/04/2022
In a world with 166 more million people chronically undernourished and 3 billion people with no access to healthy diets
FAO distributed potato seeds to farmers in Ukraine
26/05/2022
The ongoing war in Ukraine has affected the planting and harvesting season. As part of its support to Ukrainian farmers, FAO has distributed over 800 metric tonnes of potato seed kits to 17 740 vulnerable families.
FAO and Sweden, supporting farmers affected by drought and desert locust in Somalia
10/02/2022
Agriculture plays a key role in Somalia’s economy, but rural farmers, like Hibo, are increasingly under pressure
Providing lifesaving and sustainable assistance for farmers and herders in Afghanistan
21/11/2021
As winter approaches, farmers and herders in Afghanistan face many challenges: the recent droughts, along with the economic upheaval, and rural migrations leave more than 18 million people unable to feed themselves on a daily basis
FAO East Africa: The Battle Against Locust
22/09/2021
East Africa has scored big wins in its battle against the largest invasion of locust in living memory: more than 2 million hectares of land surveyed and treated.
Conflict-sensitive programming: what is it and why is it important?
20/12/2020
The video describes what conflict-sensitive programming is, why it is important, and outlines three key steps for FAO programming to be conflict-sensitive. It uses illustrative examples of FAO interventions (supporting food security, rural&nbs...