The World Food Programme (WFP) representative in Guinea Bissau, Joao Manja, warned on Tuesday that the number of Guineans suffering from food insecurity could increase by 2023.
The warning was made at the signing ceremony in Bissau, of the agreement to strengthen the strategic plan between the WFP and the government of Guinea Bissau to run until 2027.
The agreement was initialed, on the Guinean side, by Ude Fati, Secretary of State for International Cooperation. Quoting the words of WFP’s executive director, João Manja said that the latter warned of the possibility that 2023 would be a year of food shortage worldwide.
The situation would be enhanced by “converging impacts”, namely conflicts, the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic, climate change and inflation.
“By 2023, the number of Guineans suffering from food insecurity is expected to increase with more than 117,000 people suffering from hunger,” said Mozambican Joao Manja.
He cited these figures based on the 2022 harmonized framework. Manja said that the WFP was counting on the government and other partners in Guinea Bissau to tackle the situation and warned that no institution would be able to tackle the problem in isolation.
“It will never be possible in Guinea-Bissau for any (United Nations) agency, any organization to win this fight if it is not through having a strategic plan rooted in the primary objectives of the Government’s vision,” Manja noted.
Guinea Bissau’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation understood WFP’s warning, but said that the Government is counting on synergies and international partners to tackle the problem.
In the case of WFP, Udé Fati hopes that the initialed programme can bring relief to the Guinean population, confronted with the effects of the harmful problems that affect the whole world.