40% Of East Africa Facing Starvation Over Climate Crisis

COP27 told how soaring prices of food staples puts 22 million at risk

- Shauna Corr

MORE than four times the population of Ireland is now facing starvation as a result of the climate crisis, it has been claimed.

Action Aid's Teresa Anderson revealed the alarming statistic at a special event moderated by Christian Aid during finance day at COP27 in Egypt yesterday.

Ms Anderson says while people in Europe complain about food price rises of 3% people in countries like Somalia are suffering hikes of 100-250 % for everyday staples.

She added: "With the crisis, we have in East Africa right now more than 40% of the total population is facing food insecurity.

"The number of people facing starvation across East Africa right now is 22 million, that is more than four times the entire population of Ireland.

"We have all been shocked by the rising price of food." But in the two months after the Ukraine war started, Teresa says Europe's "food prices rose by about 3%... globally that average was 17% but in Somalia those numbers were in the region of 120 even 250% prices rises for staple foods".