United Nations, May 6

Staring at catastrophe

142 million people in 40 countries likely to face food crises, emergencies or catastrophes this year
1,55,000 people brace for “catastrophe/famine” through mid-2021

Children hit hard

75.2 million under 5 years across 55 countries “stunted” in growth
15.8 million underweight, malnourished

At least 155 million people faced acute hunger in 2020, including 1,33,000 who needed urgent food to prevent widespread death from starvation, and the outlook for 2021 is equally grim or worse, a report by 16 organisations has said.

The report, which focuses on 55 countries that account for 97 per cent of humanitarian assistance, said the magnitude and severity of food crises last year worsened as a result of protracted conflicts, the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and weather extremes that exacerbated “pre-existing fragilities.” Over 155 million people faced “crisis”, “emergency” or “catastrophe/ famine” levels of food needs, an increase of around 20 million people from 2019, it said.

According to the report, two-thirds of the people in those crisis levels were in 10 countries — Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Haiti. The 1,33,000 facing starvation, death and destitution were in Burkina Faso, South Sudan and Yemen.

“The number of people facing acute food insecurity and requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance is on the rise,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in the forward to the 307-page Global Report on Food Crises.

“There is no place for famine and starvation in the 21st century. We need to tackle hunger and conflict together,” he said. — AP