According to the Global Report on Food Crises released on Wednesday, more than one in five people in 59 countries faced acute food insecurity in 2023, compared to only one in 10 people in 48 countries in 2016.
“When we talk about acute food insecurity, we are talking about extreme hunger that poses a direct threat to people’s livelihoods and lives,” said Dominique Bourgeon, Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva. “This is a hunger that threatens to slide into famine and cause death on a daily basis.” wide range”.
“People are dying of hunger in Gaza”
Gian Carlo Siri, Director of the World Food Program Office in Geneva, said that food crises have escalated alarmingly in 2023, noting particular concerns about Gaza and Sudan. He said that in Gaza, “people are clearly dying of hunger.”
After nearly seven months of Israeli bombing, “people cannot meet even basic food needs,” according to Mr. Siri, who said: “They have exhausted all coping strategies, such as eating animal feed, begging, and selling their possessions to buy food. They are in most “The times are destitute, and it is clear that some of them are dying of hunger.”
A World Food Program official told reporters in Geneva that the only way to stop the famine was to ensure daily food supplies “in a very short time.”
He added: “We talked about the need to rebuild livelihoods, address root causes, etc. But right now, tomorrow, we really need to dramatically increase our food supply. This means providing massive, consistent food aid in conditions that allow humanitarian workers and supplies to move.” freely and for those affected to access assistance safely.”
‘Famine is approaching’
The new warning on Gaza is in line with repeated harsh assessments from experts in the field of food insecurity who have warned that famine could occur “at any time” between now and May 2024 in the northern governorates.
In this context, Mr. Seri said: “We are getting closer every day to famine. Malnutrition is widespread among children. We estimate that 30 percent of children under the age of two now suffer from severe malnutrition or wasting, and that 70 percent of the population in the north “They face catastrophic hunger. There is reasonable evidence that all three famine thresholds – food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality – will be crossed in the next six weeks.”
The new warning on Gaza is in line with repeated harsh assessments from experts in the field of food insecurity who have warned that famine could occur “at any time” between now and May 2024 in the northern governorates.
In this context, Mr. Seri said: “We are getting closer every day to famine. Malnutrition is widespread among children. We estimate that 30 percent of children under the age of two now suffer from severe malnutrition or wasting, and that 70 percent of the population in the north “They face catastrophic hunger. There is reasonable evidence that all three famine thresholds – food insecurity, malnutrition and mortality – will be crossed in the next six weeks.”
