23 places in the world suffer from hunger and death threatens 400,000 people

Hunger is expected to increase in 23 global hotspots over the next three months as warnings of “catastrophic” cases rise in the Ethiopian region of Tigray, southern Madagascar, Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria, two UN agencies warned on Friday.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program said in a new report on “hunger hotspots” that “acute food insecurity is set to worsen further” between August and November.

The two agencies put Ethiopia in top of the list and said the number of people suffering from hunger and death is expected to rise to 401,000, the highest number since the 2011 famine in Somalia, if humanitarian aid is not delivered quickly.

A severely malnourished girl in Tigray

A severely malnourished girl in Tigray

In southern Madagascar, which has been hit by the worst drought in 40 years and pests have hit staple crops due to rising food prices, 14,000 people are expected to be exposed to “catastrophic” acute food insecurity. characterized by hunger and death from next September.

The two agencies said the number is expected to double by the end of the year as 28,000 people will need urgent assistance.

In a report released last May, 16 organizations including “FAO” and the World Food Program said at least 155 million people worldwide faced acute hunger in 2020, including 133,000 people who needed urgent food to prevent the spread of death. hunger, an increase of 20 million compared to 2019.

“Acute hunger is not only increasing in terms of size but also of intensity “, stated” FAO “and the World Food Program in a report on Friday. “Overall, more than 41 million people in all over the world are now at risk of falling in famine or famine. similar conditions, resulting in that they did not receive immediate life-saving assistance. “

An initiative to feed children in schools in Madagascar to fight hunger

An initiative to feed children in schools in Madagascar to fight hunger

Rome-based agencies have called for urgent humanitarian action to save lives in 23 hotspots, saying that assistance was particularly critical in five “places of maximum alert” to prevent hunger and death.

They added: “This deterioration is mainly driven by the movement of the conflict, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes: increases in food prices, restrictions on movements that restrict market activities, high inflation, power of reduced purchase, and a weak early and extended harvest season. “.

FAO and the World Food Program said South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria remain at the highest level of alert, along with Ethiopia for the first time due to Tigray and southern Madagascar.

On South Sudan, the two agencies said: “The famine has occurred in some parts of Pibor County between October and November 2020. It is expected to continue in absence of timely and continuous humanitarian assistance “while two other areas remain at risk of famine.

Women wait in South Sudan to receive food aid

Women wait in South Sudan to receive food aid

In Yemen, “the risk of more people facing famine-like conditions may have been contained, but the gains are still very fragile,” according to the two organizations.

In Nigeria, “people in conflict-affected areas in the northeast could be at risk of reaching catastrophic levels of food insecurity.”

The report states that nine other countries with significant numbers of people facing “severe food insecurity” along with exacerbating factors of hunger are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Haiti, Honduras, Sudan and Syria.

The report adds that six countries have been added to the list of “hot spots” compared to the previous report by the two agencies last March, namely Chad, Colombia, North Korea, Myanmar, Kenya and Nicaragua.

The report indicates that three other countries also face “severe insecurity” in food security: Somalia, Guatemala and Niger, while Venezuela was not included due to a lack of recent data on the matter.

In Afghanistan, “FAO” and the World Food Program have stated that 3.5 million people are expected to face the second highest level of food insecurity, characterized by acute malnutrition and death, in the period from last June to next November.

They added that the withdrawal of US and NATO forces next August could lead to an escalation of violence, further displacement and difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid.

In isolated North Korea, subject to harsh UN sanctions, the two agencies said that “concerns are growing over the food security situation due to limited access and the potential impact of trade restrictions, which could lead to food gaps”.

Although the data is “extremely limited for North Korea”, the two agencies said recent data from the country’s central office and FAO analyzes “highlight the worrying shortage of cereals.”

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