KENYA: On Africa Unity Day, Africans Urged to Strengthen Food Security, Improve Nutrition
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the continent commemorates the 59th African Unity Day also known as Africa Day, the UN Secretary-General has advised Africans and people of good will across the globe, to help strengthen food security in the continent and improve nutrition so that everyone may benefit.
The annual event of Africa Unity Day marks the foundation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world.
“On this year’s Africa Unity Day, the world must join together in solidarity with all Africans to strengthen food security, and put nutrition within reach of every person,” the UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres said in a message published on Africa Day Wednesday, May 25, basing his idea on the 2022 theme which focuses on the importance of addressing malnutrition and food insecurity.
The ninth UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres appreciated Africa as a home of hope to the people stressing that on Africa Day, “We celebrate the enormous promise and potential of this diverse and dynamic continent.”
“The prospects on the horizon are bright, from Africa’s growing and vibrant youth population, to initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion, and the African Union’s bold vision for the future, Agenda 2063,” he said.
Even though Africans have the capability to work towards the realization of food security and nutrition Mr. Guterres said, there are “multiple challenges preventing Africa from reaching its full potential including the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on African economies, climate change, unresolved conflicts, and a severe food crisis.”
He continued, “To compound all this, the war in Ukraine is creating a perfect storm for developing countries, especially in Africa. This crisis is resulting in soaring costs for food, energy and fertilizer with devastating consequences on nutrition and food systems, while making it even more difficult for the continent to mobilize the financial resources needed to invest in its people.”
As the year 2022 has been designated the Year of Nutrition, the official who has been the UN Secretary-General for five years has urged Africans to intensify their efforts to “end the pandemic, reform the global financial system, stop climate change and silence the guns across all conflicts,” emphasizing that “The United Nations will continue standing proudly with Africans as we work to deliver on the promise of a prosperous and peaceful Africa for all.”
