UN / EBOLA FOOD SECURITY

The head of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) warned that West Africa is facing a food security crisis as a result of the ongoing Ebola outbreak. UNIFEED - UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:42
• Production Date: 13 October 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT - IFAD
• Subject Topical: AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; FISHING; FOOD INDUSTRY; NUTRITION; DISEASE PREVENTION; DISEASE CONTROL; DISEASES; EBOLA
• Geographic Subject: GUINEA; LIBERIA; SIERRA LEONE; WEST AFRICA
• MAMS Id: 1201169

Description

STORY: UN / EBOLA FOOD SECURITY
TRT: 1.42
SOURCE: UNIFEED - UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGAUGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 13 OCTOBER 2014, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT

Shotlist

RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

13 OCTOBER 2014, NEW YORK CITY

2. Med shot dais
3. Med shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
“We have all seen the fear and panic generated by the Ebola virus. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone farmers are leaving their crops to rot as they stay home in fear. In Sierra Leone, up to 40 percent of farms have been abandoned in the worst affected areas. Meanwhile in Senegal and other countries in West Africa there are already food shortages because regional trade has been disrupted.”
5. Med shot, journalist
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
“The problem we are facing now is that we are probably looking at a situation that will cause a distortion in the inter-regional trade in West Africa. And our concern is that if we do not take steps now, we will probably see in the future a situation with food shortages crises in the West Africa region, and as you know, these countries are interrelated, there is fluid movement between borders.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
“What we believe that needs to be done, from our perspective, is how we can begin to assist those who are able to farm their lands in areas that are not affected by Ebola, to be able to produce more and to produce it better and have access to the necessary inputs and facilities to be able to move food across into other parts of the region that are not affected.”
9. Zoom out, end of presser

Storyline

The Head of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today (13 Oct) warned that West Africa is facing a food security crisis as a result of the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

Kanayo Nwanze, President of IFAD, said that because of “the fear and panic generated by the Ebola virus” farmers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone “are leaving their crops to rot as they stay home in fear.”

In Sierra Leone, he said “up to 40 percent of farms have been abandoned in the worst affected areas.”

Meanwhile, Nwanze noted, “in Senegal and other countries in West Africa there are already food shortages because regional trade has been disrupted.”

The IFAD official said the situation caused by the outbreak may cause “a distortion in the inter-regional trade in West Africa” and expressed concern that “if we do not take steps now, we will probably see in the future a situation with food shortages crises in the West Africa region.”

Nwanze said that assistance must be given “those who are able to farm their lands in areas that are not affected by Ebola, to be able to produce more and to produce it better and have access to the necessary inputs and facilities to be able to move food across into other parts of the region that are not affected.”

More than 4,000 people have died in West Africa since it the latest outbreak was identified in March.