A report released Thursday from U.N. food agencies said severe food crises threaten hundreds of thousands of people in vulnerable areas including the Palestinian territories, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali, where populations are facing famine. Or close to it.
The report warns that conflict, economic instability and climate shocks – combined with low funding for emergency food and agricultural assistance – are driving worrying levels of acute food insecurity.
“Urgent, large-scale interventions are needed to prevent further deterioration in these already vulnerable areas,” it said.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program said acute food insecurity is projected to worsen in 16 “hunger hotspots” in 14 countries and two regions during the next six months.
Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali and the Palestinian territories remain at the “highest concern level”, the report said.
Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen are classified as “hotspots of very high concern”, where large numbers of people are facing or at risk of facing severe levels of acute food insecurity. is estimated.
“Conflict and armed violence remain the primary causes of hunger in many hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations and hampering humanitarian access,” the report warns.
FAO and WFP experts believe an extension of the conflict in Sudan is likely to lead to “large-scale displacement, resulting in sustained famine levels and an increase in the number of people living in catastrophic conditions.”
This will worsen the regional humanitarian crisis, resulting in increased cross-border movement into neighboring countries, primarily Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic.
UN agencies also stressed that the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories “has given rise to unprecedented needs, including near-complete displacement of populations and an increased risk of territorial dispossession”.
In Lebanon, the continued escalation of conflict is significantly increasing the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance and having a serious impact on levels of acute food insecurity, he said.
Since the last report in May 2024, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and Niger have been added to the hunger hotspot list, partly due to the impact of climate extremes.
Beyond conflict, weather extremes and increased climate variability are driving acute food insecurity in many regions, the report said.
La Niña – a natural climate pattern that affects global weather marked by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific – is expected to continue until March 2025, with significant impacts on rainfall patterns and temperatures.
“While La Niña may enhance agricultural prospects in some areas, it also increases the risk of flooding in parts of Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe,” the report said.
UN agencies warned that without “urgent humanitarian efforts and concerted international action” to overcome serious obstacles and advocated de-escalation of conflicts, starvation and loss of life could increase in Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali. It is likely to happen.
“Addressing and preventing famine in these areas will require greater investment in integrated solutions that go beyond traditional mandates, target the root causes of food insecurity and reduce reliance on emergency assistance,” he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
