HUNGER EMERGENCY: South Africa needs an emergency food plan — now

The hunger emergency in South Africa is a matter of grave concern. While the country produces enough food to feed its people, millions still go hungry. This is not due to a failure in agricultural production, but rather a combination of affordability, distribution, inequality and political will. Children in South Africa are dying from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), with over 1,400 deaths reported in 2023 and 2024 alone.

This crisis has persisted despite the government's repeated discussions on food and nutrition security. The absence of a political will and a proper emergency response plan has exacerbated the situation, with the government operating in a policy vacuum for three years now. The Department of Agriculture has identified the need for a new NFNSP (National Food and Nutrition Security Plan) as a priority, but the establishment of the National Food and Nutrition Security Council has been delayed, and the council is not functioning.

The Department of Basic Education feeds children at school, while Social Development focuses on grants. Health treats malnutrition, while Basic Education and Treasury each handle different aspects. Trade and Industry considers markets and competition. The Deputy President is supposed to chair the Food Council, but it has not met, and no single institution holds the political authority to act urgently.

The situation is expected to worsen due to global food crises caused by war and the El Niño weather event. The government's response to this crisis by merely telling poor households to grow vegetables is insufficient, as most South Africans buy their food. The government's delay in developing a new NFNSP and its subsequent implementation is merely repeating previous failures.

An immediate implementation of a "12-month Emergency Food Plan" is urged by the Union Against Hunger (UAH) to create a sense of emergency and fill the gap between policy and power.