Health shocks and food insecurity. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in African Countries

This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity across a sample of African countries. Using data from the Afrobarometer survey, the study finds that pandemic-related shocks increased the incidence of food insecurity by 8 percentage points on average. These effects were particularly pronounced in West and Southern Africa, as well as in rural areas, where movement restrictions and local market closures significantly disrupted economic activity. Robustness checks confirm these findings.