40 million more faced acute hunger in 2021: UN

The variety of individuals dealing with starvation rose to 193 million final yr as battle, local weather change and financial crises ravaged individuals’s livelihoods, the UN’s Meals and Agriculture Group stated Wednesday.

Whereas specialists have warned that Russia’s battle in Ukraine may trigger famine, the FAO stated in an annual report that almost 40 million extra individuals had been pushed into “acute meals insecurity” in 2021.

Amongst 53 international locations dealing with the issue, probably the most affected embody the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan the place tens of millions face starvation after the nation plunged into monetary disaster following the Taliban takeover in 2021.

The United Nations defines “acute meals insecurity” as when an individual’s lack of ability to devour ample meals places their lives or livelihoods in rapid hazard.

“That is starvation that threatens to slip into famine and trigger widespread loss of life,” the FAO stated.

The quantity has risen consistently for the reason that first report was revealed by the FAO, the World Meals Programme and the European Union in 2016.

The rise in 2021 has been “pushed by a poisonous triple mixture of battle, climate extremes and financial shocks”, with individuals affected in 53 international locations, the FAO stated.

Though the report doesn’t take into consideration the battle in Ukraine, the FAO stated the battle “stands to have probably the most devastating impacts on meals disaster international locations and on these on the point of famine”.

Russia and Ukraine are main exporters of important agricultural merchandise, starting from wheat and sunflower oil to fertiliser, and the FAO has beforehand stated the battle despatched world meals costs to an all-time excessive in March.

“The battle has already highlighted the interconnected nature and fragility of worldwide meals methods,” the FAO stated.

– Outlook ‘not good’ –
The company famous that a number of international locations battling main meals crises obtained virtually all of their wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine final yr, together with Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.

The FAO warned that the “outlook shifting ahead will not be good”.

“Right this moment, if extra will not be achieved to help rural communities, the size of the devastation by way of starvation and misplaced livelihoods will likely be appalling,” the report stated.

“Pressing humanitarian motion is required on a large scale to stop that from taking place,” it stated.

In 2021, battle and insecurity was the primary driver of acute starvation in 24 international locations, affecting 139 million individuals.

Financial “shocks”, worsened by the impression of Covid, hit 30.2 million individuals in 21 international locations.

Excessive climate was the primary driver of acute meals insecurity for 23.5 million individuals in eight African international locations.

The FAO stated it wants $1.5 billion to stabilise and improve native meals manufacturing in at-risk areas the place planting season is beginning.

“There isn’t a time to waste,” it stated because it meets on the difficulty on Wednesday.

© Agence France-Presse