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
In Haiti, where almost half the population is already food insecure, hunger is set to rise amidst increasing inflation, high costs of food and fuel and deteriorating security, warns the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ). As criminal groups block roads, Â鶹ÊÓƵ continues to provide assistance to vulnerable Haitians and supports the humanitarian community with vital air and sea transport.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ is providing emergency assistance to families affected by the 22 June earthquake that hit the south-eastern provinces of Paktika and Khost and has teams on the ground assessing humanitarian needs among earthquake-hit families.
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.
Desperately needed rains across the Horn of Africa have so far failed to materialize, almost a month into the current rainy season, and if these conditions continue, along with stagnant and even decreasing humanitarian aid, the number of hungry people due to drought could spiral from the currently estimated 14 million to 20 million through 2022
One month into the conflict in Ukraine, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) is providing emergency food assistance to one million people in the country and has built systems able to deliver food at scale to communities in need. Trucks, trains and mini vans are today delivering food supplies to the most vulnerable people across the country and more convoys are expected in coming days.
As the emergency operation in Ukraine moved into high gear today, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) expressed deep concern about the waning ability of families in embattled areas to find food and also warned that the crisis could have consequences well beyond Ukraine¡¯s borders.
Food insecurity in Afghanistan is rising sharply, driven by the impact of the economic crisis, decades of conflict, and drought. Men, women, and children queuing for food assistance say that the misery of hunger, today, is even greater than the challenges they endured during the worst days of conflict.
Extreme weather and climate events heighten humanitarian needs in Madagascar and around the world warns Â鶹ÊÓƵ just days ahead of report launch by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Yemen is spiraling into a catastrophe as humanitarian funding dries up, forcing the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) to scale back food assistance to millions of hungry families, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Executive Director David Beasley warned today, as he ended a two-day visit to the conflict-ravaged country.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing the driest conditions recorded since 1981, with severe drought leaving an estimated 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia facing severe hunger in the first quarter of this year, the United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) warned.
Bringing heavy rains, violent winds and storm surges, Intense Tropical Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the central-eastern coast of Madagascar on Saturday. Storms during the agricultural season (that runs from October-April) have the potential to wipe out harvest, send food prices soaring and increase food insecurity.
More than half of the population are facing acute hunger and 3.2 million children are suffering from malnutrition. Humanitarian needs have tripled, and will continue to rise as the bitter winter sets in pushing communities to the limit.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ warns that the number of people teetering on the edge of famine (IPC4/Emergency or worse) in 43 countries has risen to 45 million, as acute hunger spikes around the world. This number has risen from 42 million earlier in the year and 27 million in 2019
As climate talks get underway in Glasgow, families in Southern Madagascar, where climate is driving famine-like conditions, brace themselves for yet another harsh year ahead as the ongoing drought shows no signs of abating, signaling deteriorating hunger.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has completed its first round of food distributions to people impacted by the spread of conflict into Afar and Amhara regions. However, a lack of supplies due to various impediments to the movement of humanitarian aid still sees distributions in Tigray lagging behind.
Job losses, lack of cash and soaring prices are creating a new class of hungry in Afghanistan, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has warned today. For the first time, urban residents are suffering from food insecurity at similar rates to rural communities, which have been ravaged by drought twice in the past three years.
the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), operated by Â鶹ÊÓƵ on behalf of the humanitarian community, has resumed flights to Kabul, enabling humanitarian workers to reach Afghans.
Up to 7 million people are in dire need of food assistance in Northern Ethiopia. Conflict is intensifying in Afar and Amhara regions ¨C pushing a further 1.7 million people into a hunger crisis, in addition to 5.2 million people in Tigray.
Battered by multiple crises in recent years, Haitians who survived the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake are now dealing with crumbled homes, lost livelihoods and limited or no access to food
Â鶹ÊÓƵ is due to run out of food stocks of wheat flour as early as October and requires immediate upfront funds to support the millions of people depending on Â鶹ÊÓƵ to deliver food.
1 in 3 Afghans ¨C 14 million people ¨C are hungry today while 2 million children are malnourished. With drought, pandemic, and conflict, the food security situation will continue to worsen; and a great tide of hunger is soon arriving.
The UN Â鶹ÊÓƵ warns that without urgent funding, one of the world¡¯s fastest-growing displacement crises in northern Mozambique risks becoming a hunger emergency as families continue to flee insurgent violence. The displacement has left at least 730,000 people in Cabo Delgado with no access to their lands and no means of earning a living. According to the latest food security data captured before the attacks in Palma town in late March 2021, nearly 228,000 people are highly food insecure. This number is projected to increase to 363,000 during the lean season beginning in October. Children are worst affected. Recent IPC data shows 75,000 children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. The situation is projected to continue deteriorating, with more districts likely to move into the 'Critical' levels of malnutrition.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Executive Director, David Beasley, is urging the world to step-up and take action after bearing witness to the invisible crisis enveloping Southern Madagascar, where whole communities are teetering on the edge of starvation. Southern Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades with more than 1.14 million people food insecure. Of those, an estimated 14,000 people are already in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5) and this will double to 28,000 by October. Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been working closely with the Malagasy government and other partners since late last year to address severe hunger. However, as the crisis deepens those efforts must be intensified. Last week Beasley met with the Prime Minister and senior officials to identify immediate and long-term solutions to this crisis.
