According to the report, Yemen, South Sudan and Northern Nigeria are at the top of the list Hunger Hotspot Report Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO(And the World Food Program)World Food Program).
A race against time
Partners said that more than 34 million people worldwide are already facing emergency levels of acute hunger, which means they are one step away from famine.
“The scale of the suffering is alarming. It is our duty to all act now and act quickly to save lives, protect livelihoods and prevent the worst situations. She said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
“In many areas, the planting season has just started or is about to start. We must reverse the time and not allow this opportunity to protect, stabilize and perhaps increase local food production.”
Yemen, South Sudan and Northern Nigeria top the list of 20 countries, facing catastrophic levels of acute hunger. Some families in areas of South Sudan and Yemen are already suffering from hunger and death, or are at risk of starvation.
While most of the affected countries are located in Africa, the report said that hunger is expected to rise sharply in most regions of the world.
The disaster unfolds
There are several factors behind the projected rise in acute food insecurity, with countries facing one or a combination of the main drivers that include conflict, and Covid-19 Pandemic, climate extremes, and locust outbreaks. Another cause of concern is the increasing restrictions imposed on humanitarian access to people in need.
We are witnessing a catastrophe unfolding before our very eyes. David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Program, said famine – driven by conflict, fueled by climate shocks and the COVID-19 hunger epidemic – is knocking at the door for millions of families.
Three urgent priorities
“We urgently need three things to prevent millions from starving to death: The fighting must stop, we must be allowed access to vulnerable communities to provide life-saving assistance, and above all we need donors to provide the $ 5.5 billion we are requesting this year.”
The funding will be used for humanitarian food aid, cash interventions and emergency livelihoods, in line with the appeal launched by the two United Nations agencies earlier this month.
The report also recommends decisive action in each “hunger hotspot” to meet current and future needs, such as increasing food and nutrition assistance, providing drought-tolerant seeds, rehabilitating water harvesting structures, and introducing cash-for-work schemes.
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