African economies won't sustain growth unless a solution to the continent's hunger crisis is found, according to a new report from the United Nations Development Programme.
    
Researchers say that, while African economies are growing fast, growth can't last unless hunger is eliminated.

"In the long run, you will need populations that are healthy, that are educated, and that are able to be productive," Pedro Conceicao, UNDP chief economist for Africa, told the humanitarian news website AlertNet. 

Nearly 218 million adults in Africa are undernourished, and 55 million children are malnourished.

The U.N. report suggests boosting agricultural productivity and creating resilience to natural disasters to help fight hunger. Last year, more than 50,000 people lost their lives to famine in Somalia and drought in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti.