In an urgent call for action to address the root causes of rising hunger, ahead of World Food Day, the agency said the current crisis is “a combination of crises competition”, caused by climate shocks, conflict and economic instability.
The number of hungry people worldwide has increased from 282 million to about 345 million since the beginning of 2022and by the middle of the year, WFP reached just over 111 million needs, aiming to reach a record 153 million by the end of this year.
“We are facing an unprecedented global food crisis and all indications are that we have not seen the worst,” said WFP executive director David Beasley.
“In the last three years, the number of famines has consistently reached new highs. Let me be clear: things can and will get worse unless there is a large-scale and concerted effort to address the root causes of this crisis. We can’t have another year of record hunger.”
A malnourished child is fed at home by his mother in a flood-ravaged village in Pakistan.
Suppress hunger
The Emergency Food Aid Agency emphasizes that it is currently “suppressing hunger” in 5 countries: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
Conflict continues to plunge the most vulnerable into catastrophic starvation, with communications disrupted, humanitarian access limited and communities displaced.
For example, the current war in Ukraine has disrupted global trade, driven up transportation costs and led to loss of time, and left farmers with a lack of access to sufficient fertilizer and other supplies. other agriculture they need to produce enough food.
WFP warns: “The stimulating effect on upcoming harvests will be resounding around the world.”
Floodwaters in Umerkot district, Sindh province, Pakistan.
Economy and climate
Meanwhile, climate shocks are increasing in frequency and intensity, leaving affected people with little time to recover between disasters.
Unprecedented drought in the Horn of Africa is pushing many people to alarming levels of food insecurity, with famine now raging in Somalia, while floods have devastated homes and farmland in several countries, most notably in Pakistan.
The WFP explains that governments’ ability to respond is limited by their own national economic woes – currency devaluation, inflation, debt – as the threat of a global recession also increases. .
“This will show that more and more people cannot afford food and need humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs,” the agency warned.
A woman feeds her baby at a nutrition site in South Sudan.
Expanding aid
So far this year, WFP has more than sixfolded assistance in Sri Lanka to deal with the economic crisis, launched an emergency flood response in Pakistan, and expanded its operations to a record level in Somalia. , when the famine raged.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, 2 out of 5 Afghans are supported by WFP.
The agency has also launched an emergency operation in Ukraine and opened a new office in Moldova to assist families fleeing the conflict.
WFP required $24 billion to reach 153 million people by 2022. However, with the global economy reeling from COVID-19 During the pandemic, the gap between demand and funding is greater than ever.
The agency has warned that unless necessary resources are provided, prices will be in those who lose their lives and the reversal of hard-earned development achievements.
