DAKAR
\nThere was no meat in the large silver bowl around which Astou Mandiang and her family gathered after breaking fast at nightfall in Senegal\u2019s capital Dakar, where Muslims celebrating the holy month of Ramadan are feeling the pinch of inflation.
\nFood prices in West Africa have shot up by between 20 percent and 30 percent over the past five years, with drought and conflict pushing millions off farmland and stalling food production, aid agencies say.
\nAt the same time, border closures during the pandemic have disrupted supply chains.
\nThe war in Ukraine is likely to add even more pressure on Muslim households stocking up on food and beverage to cater for visiting family, neighbors and those in need.
\n\u201cAt the market there is a lack of food,\u201d said Mandiang, stirring a simmering fish and tomato stew in a damp kitchen without electricity.
\n\u201cPrices have soared and we return home without knowing what to cook,\u201d said the 64-year-old, who scrapes a living by selling porridge on the side of the road.
\nFish, cheaper than meat in the ocean-facing country, is now the only animal protein Mandiang can afford for her family.
\nShe was grateful to have stocked up on onions, key to many traditional dishes, before increased demand during Ramadan further increased prices.
\nMost of the food traditionally consumed in Senegal, including the staple rice, is imported.
\n\u201cWe depend on external logistics,\u201d Action Against Hunger regional representative Mamadou Diop told Reuters.
\nEconomic sanctions against neighboring Mali over a military coup, for example, have increased the price of beef in Senegal because Malian livestock can no longer be sold across the border, he explained.
\nCharities that distribute food during Ramadan are struggling to fund their usual donations.
\nScouring market stalls for the best deals, charity worker Astou Ndour said her organization would only be able to support 80 families this year, compared with 90 last Ramadan.
\nCooking oil is 50 percent more expensive. The price of rice has risen by around 10 percent.
\n\u201cWhen give us change we think they made a mistake,\u201d said Mandiang. \u201cThey tell us the price has risen, and there is nothing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DAKAR There was no meat in the large silver bowl around which Astou Mandiang and her family gathered after breaking fast at nightfall in Senegal\u2019s capital Dakar, where Muslims celebrating the holy month of Ramadan are feeling the pinch of inflation. Food prices in West Africa have shot up by between 20 percent and 30 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-254651","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n