The first maritime shipment of Ukrainian wheat grain for humanitarian operations run by the UN Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) left Ukraine¡¯s Yuzhny (Pivdennyi) Port today, another important milestone in efforts to get much needed Ukrainian grain out of the conflict-hit country, back into global markets, and to countries worst affected by the global food crisis
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ is launching Five Calls to Action to address today¡¯s record-high humanitarian needs as leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, and UK prepare to meet ¨C ending conflict is high on the agenda.
1. Commit to political solutions to end conflicts now ¨C including the immediate reopening of all Black Sea ports
2. Ensure trade is open to deliver grains, oil and fuel
3. Support and join global and regional initiatives to combat global hunger and food insecurity
4. Fill Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s current funding gap to ensure that today¡¯s crises do not multiply or increase the number of people facing hunger around the globe
5. Invest in strategic development solutions that build resilient communities and foster climate actions, social protection, and sustainable food systems, allowing humanitarian and development organisations to change lives over the long term. In this way, we will set the world on a path towards broader stability and peace.
Russia and Ukraine combined account for 30 percent of the global wheat exports and 20 percent of global maize exports. Any disruption in production or supply could drive prices up, affecting millions of vulnerable families, especially in hunger hotspots.
The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ today announced a massive rise in the number of hungry people it plans to assist around the world, as the devastating socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic push millions more people into food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries.
To tackle the rising tide of hunger, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is undertaking the biggest humanitarian response in its history, ramping up the number of people it assists to up to 138 million from a record 97 million in 2019. But sustained funding is urgently required to respond to the immediate consequences of the pandemic on the most vulnerable, and support governments and partners as they curb the spread of the disease and deal with the fallout from the pandemic. Â鶹ÊÓƵ is appealing for a US$ 4.9 billion over the next six months for its life-saving work in 83 countries.
As well as delivering life-saving assistance on the front-lines of hunger, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is uniquely positioned to help governments assist and empower vulnerable communities through support to social protection systems, access to basic school-based and nutrition services, and support to food systems.
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 is focusing efforts on mobilizing the resources it needs to provide food assistance to the 100 million people it set out to support in 2020. Food assistance offers a lifeline to vulnerable communities and boosting social protection systems will be vital to safeguarding an additional 130 million people at risk of slipping into hunger in 2020 due to the pandemic (on top of the 135 million people already acutely hungry before COVID-19).
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.
