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UN warns of risk of famine in Yemen, S.Sudan, Nigeria
ROME, March 23, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Millions of people in conflict-hit Yemen,
South Sudan and northern Nigeria are at risk of famine in the coming months
or already facing it, two United Nations agencies warned Tuesday.
Existing acute food insecurity, heavy constraints on humanitarian access,
conflict, economic blows and climate shocks mean “urgent and at-scale
targeted humanitarian action is needed to prevent hunger or death” in these
areas, the groups said in a joint report.
The three areas were among 20 “hunger hotspots” identified by the World
Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) where
existing acute food insecurity risks deteriorating further by July.
A specific sub-group — Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African
Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan,
Syria, Yemen and Zimbabwe — are particularly at risk.
Parts of their populations are already experiencing “extreme depletion of
livelihoods, insufficient food consumption and high acute malnutrition”, the
joint report warned.
“In such fragile contexts, any further shocks could push a significant
number of people over the brink and into destitution and even starvation,” it
said.
In parts of Jonglei state in South Sudan, the UN agencies said famine was
already occurring, and “urgent, at-scale action is now needed to stop likely
widespread starvation and death”.
Overall in South Sudan, some 7.2 million people are expected to be in food
crisis — with high malnutrition or just marginally meeting minimal food
needs — from April to July.
Some 2.4 million people are classified as in an “emergency” situation,
with 108,000 people in the agencies’ “catastrophe/famine” grouping.
Urgent action is also required to prevent further destitution in parts of
Yemen, the report said, with the number of people in or nearly in famine
estimated to triple from 16,000 last October-December to more than 47,000
this June.
Those facing acute food insecurity in Yemen will rise by three million, it
said, to 16.2 million people, with five million in an emergency situation.
– Conflicts, food insecurity –
Meanwhile in conflict-affected areas of northern Nigeria, the number of
people facing an emergency situation will likely double year on year to over
1.2 million by August 2021.
“Overall, in the next six months, northern Nigeria is expected to face a
marked deterioration of food security and nutrition, due to conflict and
economic factors, aggravated by the secondary effects of COVID-19,” it said.
There was some improvement — last November, the UN agencies classed
Burkina Faso as a fourth country at risk of famine alongside South Sudan,
Yemen and northern Nigeria.
But the alert in Burkina Faso had slightly lowered for the coming months,
after a good harvest and improved delivery of food assistance to remote and
inaccessible areas.
Continued conflict in the zone, however, means the situation “remains very
concerning.”
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1840 hrs