SANA¡¯A ¨C Yemen is at a tipping point as conflict and economic woes drag the country to the brink of famine and risk cancelling out the gains made through humanitarian action in the past few years, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ warns today.
Conflict has escalated across more than 40 frontlines, the cost of basic foods is higher than ever before and the currency has lost 25 percent of its value in 2020 alone ¨C 70 percent compared to its pre-war value. As the country¡¯s foreign currency reserves tick towards zero Yemen¡¯s ability to import food could also disappear, threatening more hunger for millions.
For the last six months, families in areas controlled by the Sana¡¯a authorities have only received food assistance on alternate months as Â鶹ÊÓƵ has tried to stretch its limited resources and avoid full breaks in assistance. But this has made life harder for millions: in just three months people with inadequate food consumption in these areas increased from 28 to 43 percent, according to Â鶹ÊÓƵ data.
With much of the world¡¯s commercial transport systems, particularly airlines, grounded by COVID-19, Â鶹ÊÓƵ - the world¡¯s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger and a global leader in logistics ¨C has stepped in to move passengers and huge volumes of health and other supplies needed in the fight against the global pandemic.
Other Common Service facilities which Â鶹ÊÓƵ has helped set up for the humanitarian and health community include two field hospitals, one in East and the other in West Africa, and to date 16 medical evacuations have been carried out, including with Â鶹ÊÓƵ-contracted air ambulances.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ stands ready to set up the logistics backbone for global COVID-19 efforts, but it urgently needs US$350 million to do this.
A silent hunger pandemic is poised to sweep across the world, sowing seeds of famine in its wake. Â鶹ÊÓƵ analysis shows that almost a quarter of a billion people could be pushed into severe hunger by the fallout from COVID-19.
It¡¯s vital that at this time of global crisis Â鶹ÊÓƵ maintain its food assistance programmes which offer a lifeline to almost 100 million vulnerable people around the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger, pushing it to more than a quarter of a billion by the end of 2020, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ warned today as it and other partners released a new report on food crises around the world.
The number of people facing acute food insecurity (IPC/CH 3 or worse) will rise to 265 million in 2020, up by 130 million from the 135 million in 2019, as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, according to a Â鶹ÊÓƵ projection. The estimate was announced alongside the release of the Global Report on Food Crises, produced by Â鶹ÊÓƵ and 15 other humanitarian and development partners.
In this context, it is vital that food assistance programme be maintained, including Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s own programmes which offer a lifeline to almost 100 million vulnerable people globally.
Millions of Zimbabweans pushed into hunger by prolonged drought and economic crisis face an increasingly desperate situation unless adequate funding for a major relief operation materialises quickly, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ has warned.
With nearly eight million people ¨C half the population ¨C now food insecure, Â鶹ÊÓƵ plans to double the number of people it assists - up to 4.1 million - but needs over US$200 million for its emergency response in the first half of 2020 alone.
