The report states that recovery in those districts had been further affected by “flooding during the rainy season, the closing down of mining operations in Port Loko, the recent increase in the price of petrol across the country will most likely affect food access in these two districts more strongly than elsewhere – particularly in Kailahun where the price of a litre of petrol has been even higher than government rates and the fact that cash crop harvests in Kailahun will not be complete until February”.
However, the report also stated that markets were functioning normally across the country since the lifting of most EVD related restrictions in 2015 but pointed out that the market stock levels of local food crops were typically high due to harvesting of rice, cassava, sweet potato and vegetables.
It further highlighted noted that market stock levels of imported rice and other food commodities also remained stable across the country despite the fact that prices were reported to be escalating because of the continued depreciation of the Leone that declined by 13 per cent against the dollar since 15 September 2016, according to the Bank of Sierra Leone.
It said that due to improved road network system trading from one district to another was gradually improving.
“Trade flows within and across districts have improved due to improved road networks as a result of the start of the dry season. Although trade flows have normalized, the government increase in the price of petrol (60 per cent) across the country is causing an increase in commodity prices, especially for imported rice and some non-food items”.
It however, concluded that the all districts in the country would improve to minimal acute food insecurity throughout the month of May 2017.
In 2013 the Global Hunger Index found out that there was an “alarming” hunger in the country despite nearly 10 per cent point improvement since 1990.
The country was 13 out of the 56 hungriest nations in the world and the hungriest in West Africa based on a calculation for 120 developing countries and countries in transition. This improved considerably by 2015, according to a report that year.
