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Conflict and climate change have pushed 124 million people in 51 countries into acute food security, a situation when the inability to consume adequate food represents an immediate danger to people’s lives and livelihoods. In 2017, the number of people affected by acute food insecurity increased by 11 million. These are the main findings of a publication titled, “Global Report on Food Crises,” released by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN).
The report states that conflict and climate change-related disasters were the main drivers of acute food insecurity in 18 countries where 74 million people need urgent assistance to prevent famine. New or intensified conflict has deteriorated food security in Myanmar, north-east Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Yemen. Prolonged drought conditions have aggravated the situation in several countries in eastern and southern Africa.
The report further notes that conflict will continue to be a main driver of food insecurity in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Nigeria, the Lake Chad region, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Mali and Niger. It also warns that continued dry weather conditions will further impact food security in pastoral areas of Somalia, south-eastern Ethiopia and eastern Kenya, and in West African and Sahel countries including Senegal, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
FSIN, also known as the Global Network against Food Crises, is a joint initiative of the EU, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and the World Food Programme (WFP). Through the Global Report on Food Crises, the group aims to provide a comprehensive overview of acute food insecurity based on evidence and data from multiple national and regional sources. The report identifies critical priorities for humanitarian aid and outlines how development action can engage at earlier stages to address root causes of hunger, reduce vulnerability, and increase resilience in areas at risk of slipping into acute food security.
[This description originally appeared on sdg.iisd.org]
