41 million people threatened by famine in the world (WFP)
The number of people who are on the verge of famine has increased since the start of the year, from 34 million to 41 million, the WFP, the UN World Food Program, warned on Friday.
According to WFP’s latest Global Operational Response Plan , famine – brought on by conflict and fueled by climate shocks and the economic downturn caused by Covid-19 – may soon become a reality for millions of people.
“Global hunger levels are increasing as conflicts, climate shocks and the Covid-19 pandemic collide. And the slightest shock will send millions of people into famine, ”said Tomson Phiri, WFP spokesperson, during a UN press briefing in Geneva.
The number of people on the brink of famine has thus fallen from 34 million to 41 million. “Without immediate emergency food aid, these people too risk starving, because the slightest shock will cause them to fall into starvation,” insisted Mr. Phiri.
Concerns in Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen
Thus, it is some 584,000 people who will probably face this year near famine conditions in Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan and Yemen.
Nigeria and Burkina Faso are also of particular concern because in recent months they have experienced pockets of populations close to this “disaster” situation. This, commonly referred to as phase 5, is the highest on the five-level scale of the Integrated Food Security Classification Framework (IPC).
More generally, the UN agency based in Rome warns that the world is no longer moving towards zero hunger. Progress stalled and reversed. WFP estimates that more than 270 million people will be acutely food insecure or at high risk this year.
“The situation in 2021 is not usual and it is getting worse. We are extremely concerned about the world’s most vulnerable people, as food prices continue to rise around the world, ”the WFP spokesperson detailed.
For largest operation in history, WFP targets 139 million people
In the meantime, the price of “inaction” in the face of these growing food needs is inevitably measured in terms of the lives lost. For the UN agency, severe food insecurity also has a long-term economic impact, from lost productivity to rising health care costs, not to mention the incalculable cost of loss of human potential of entire generations and jeopardizing the future of a nation.
To avoid these scenarios materializing, WFP undertook the largest operation in its history, targeting 139 million people this year. It is thus striving to increase vital food and nutritional aid to meet the basic needs of the poorest people.
The main focus is on overcoming access challenges and expanding cash transfers, with significant increases in several operations, including Ethiopia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria.
WFP needs $ 5 billion in 2021
But to avert famine and meet the food and nutritional needs of those most at risk, WFP urgently needs $ 5 billion in 2021.
“The price of inaction is exponentially higher,” warned Tomson Phiri. The $ 5 billion for famine alleviation represents about a third of WFP’s total resource requirements, or $ 15 billion for 2021.
Note that a set of criteria is used to define a famine situation. They are grouped together in an “Integrated Food Security Classification Framework” (IPC), which is the standard used by the United Nations.
The IPC distinguishes five possible phases in a country’s food situation, the fifth being that of “disaster / famine”. When more than 20% of the population of a region is in “disaster” and acute malnutrition affects more than 30% of the population, a state of famine is declared.
Source: UN News Service