Hunger report sounds alarm on emergencies at risk of going forgotten amid crisis in Palestine

The latest Hunger Hotspots report is a poignant reminder of critical humanitarian emergencies that risk flying under the radar as the world’s attention focuses on the conflict in Israel and Palestine.

In addition to Palestine – now added to the countries of greatest concern – other countries most at risk of a serious deterioration in food security and possible famine are Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan.

In total, urgent humanitarian action is essential in 18 hunger hotspots – comprising 22 countries or territories – according to the report jointly released by the UN World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“Revealing the Sobering Truth”

“The risks identified in these countries of concern are alarming and reveal the sobering truth about what will happen if we do not act quickly to prevent further loss of life,” said Kyung-nan Park, WFP Emergencies Director. “More than ever, both emergency measures and preparedness are crucial to prevent this deterioration in food security.”

The report warns that acute food insecurity in Palestine is very likely to worsen during the outlook period of November 2023 to April 2024, due to the sharp escalation of the conflict. One of the key recommendations is the approval of a plea from the United Nations Secretary General for a ceasefire and access to facilitate aid delivery to the Gaza Strip.

The conflict in Palestine reinforces a warning – also highlighted in the previous report published in May – that the trend of increasing civilian targeting in various conflicts, and the growing number of actors using such tactics, is expected to continue into 2023. the main causes of hunger worldwide. Instability and violence continue to rise in the Sahel region, from coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, affecting neighboring countries such as Chad. Between July and September 2023, the region was responsible for 22 percent of all global conflict fatalities.

Displacement in Sudan remains at alarming levels

The scale and pace of displacement in Sudan continues at alarming levels, disrupting food production and access and affecting nearly 5.6 million people by mid-September 2023. This includes 1.2 million people crossing the border into neighboring countries – increasing sixfold in four months. Recommendations include increasing the supply of life-saving food and nutrition, and continued efforts to improve access to people in Sudan in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

In South Sudan, inadequate crop production, high prices for basic foodstuffs and the lack of resources to support the rising number of returnees from Sudan are expected to contribute to the persistence of critical food insecurity.

Eight countries are identified as being of “very high concern”, namely Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Pakistan, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. These all have large numbers of people facing or expected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity. Various factors depending on the country – including conflict, climate-related disasters and economic downturns – are expected to worsen life-threatening conditions in the coming months.

Food insecurity is exacerbated by forced ration cuts in several hunger hotspots of grave concern, due to a lack of funding for humanitarian aid. In Afghanistan, for example, as many as 10 million people have been cut off from life-saving aid due to a massive funding gap. Other affected countries include Haiti, Palestine, Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.

“Millions of people could be pushed even further into famine and to the brink of starvation”

“The current historic humanitarian financing crisis will inevitably impact these looming crises,” Kyung-nan said. “If WFP and humanitarian actors do not receive the funding needed to address these, millions of people could be pushed further into famine and pushed to the brink of disaster. Hungry. The costs of inaction are catastrophic, especially for the most vulnerable. Now more than ever, it is critical that stakeholders invest in preparedness and resilience programming so that communities are better prepared for the coming climate, conflict and economic shocks.”

While funding is lagging, humanitarian needs remain high, partly due to factors such as the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine on global supply chains and food prices.

Several countries in Central America are expected to be hit hard by the El Niño weather pattern, with droughts expected along the Dry Corridor in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as Malawi – all of which remain a hotspot being hungry.

“Weather extremes and disasters are becoming more frequent and more serious”

“We should not forget the countries at high risk of climate-related impacts as extreme weather events and disasters become more frequent and severe,” Kyung-nan said. “This includes the predicted impacts of El Nino, and predicted hurricanes, floods and droughts in various regions.”

While the impact of this is often unexpected and unpredictable, she added, the warnings in the report can be used not only for emergency response, but also to better prepare through anticipatory action that ultimately saves lives and costs.”

In addition to emergency measures, the report emphasizes the importance of such anticipatory measures – short-term protective measures before new humanitarian needs become reality. In the Dry Corridor, for example, this means providing early warning messages about impending hurricanes and strategically positioning supplies to enable rapid delivery.

In Malawi, this means distributing drought-tolerant seeds prior to the planting season, along with hermetic grain storage bags. In South Sudan, this means providing forecast-based cash transfers that help families mitigate the impact of upcoming floods, for example if they have to evacuate their homes.

More help is urgently needed in all 18 hunger hotspots

Chad, Djibouti, Niger and Zimbabwe have all been added to the list of countries and territories suffering from hunger since the May 2023 edition, alongside Palestine. Varying factors again include conflict, high food prices and climate impacts.

More assistance is urgently needed in all 18 hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and increase access to food. This is critical to prevent further worsening of acute food insecurity and malnutrition, despite challenges posed by insecurity, bureaucratic hurdles and access restrictions, all of which prevent safe and rapid assistance.