More that 20 million people are currently facing starvation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, according to the most recent data gathered by the UN. UNICEF has predicted that as many as 1.4 million children could starve to death this year.
At a Security Council briefing, UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said: “We stand at a critical point in history… we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations. Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine. Without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death. Many more will suffer and die from disease.”
In the north east provinces of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in Nigeria, more than 1.8 million people are severely food insecure. Yemen has 14.1 million severely food insecure people, while South Sudan has 4.9 million and Somalia has 2.9 million.
Severe food insecurity means going hungry and not knowing where your next meal will come from. Food insecure people will become malnourished if the situation isn’t rectified swiftly. Malnourished children experience stunting of growth and become too weak to attend school or socialise with their peers. Food insecurity also causes mass displacement, as families and whole communities are forced to move in search of survival.
Yemen was already the poorest country in the Middle East when violence escalated across the region in March 2015. Today, UNOCHA has identified 18.8 million people who are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. This shocking figure is almost two thirds of Yemen’s entire population.
According to UNOCHA, there are 3.3 million children and pregnant or lactating women who are acutely malnourished, and 462,000 children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.UNICEF reports that a child dies every 10 minutesi n Yemen from a preventable disease.
Only six years ago, almost 260,000 people died in Somalia after an appalling famine. Today, 6.2 million people are food insecure and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, and nearly 1 million children are acutely malnourished. Without critical nutrition support, these children may not survive the year.
The impact of drought on agriculture has caused mass food insecurity and displaced more than 250,000 people from their homes. The UN estimates that 1.9 million people are at risk of dying from preventable diseases in 2017 due to severely limited access to primary healthcare services. Somalia is on the brink of another devastating famine.
Human Appeal is responding to the global food crisis by providing emergency food support in many countries, including Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq.
We are currently providing food parcels for 468 needy families in Sana’a, Yemen, but we can only continue this vital work with your support. Each food parcel or cooked meal that we provide can mean the difference between life and death for a family struggling to survive through a conflict or natural disaster. Every donation counts.
For just £100, you can provide an Emergency Aid package for a family in crisis, including food support, clean water, fuel and basic medical supplies.
You can save a life today.
