Boston, 6 May 2022 (TDI): The UN and 16 partner organizations, including Oxfam, cooperated on a Global Report on Food Crisis. More than 193 million people in 53 countries suffer from a food crisis.
Emily Farr, an Oxfam Global Food Security and Livelihoods Expert expressed serious concern about the findings. According to her, hunger is reaching unmatched levels.
40 million more people are facing serious hunger. A nearly 25% increase over last year and an 80% increase since 2016. The governments all around the world have failed to address the widespread pain and suffering.
Countries with famine-like conditions, such as Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Yemen, have issued all of the warnings. However, despite having the means to guess this rising hunger, the world continues to choose not to act quickly or correctly.
To date, the G7 countries and the EU have assured $2.6 billion to the UN’s humanitarian requests. These promises are meager as compared to the $8.5 billion assured last year to reduce hunger.
To make matters worse, some wealthy nations have successfully diverted aid to other problems. They have reduced international aid to countries like Mali and Syria. These countries suffer from mass hunger, malnutrition, and starvation.
Both the COVID-19 economic crisis and the Ukraine conflict have worsened the global situation. They’ve driven up food costs to an all-time high in March 2022, up 12.6 percent from February. This has put food out of reach for millions of people.
Food insecurity
Expert Emily Farr also expressed concern about Mariam, a malnourished Somali girl. The girl has done nothing to contribute to a worldwide epidemic, the Ukraine conflict, or the climate issue yet she suffers.
Governments responsible for these crises ignore girls like Mariam. Hunger is an avoidable disaster in a world of plenty. If wealthy countries quickly fund UN worldwide demands, millions of people can be saved.
They can now save lives. Opposing parties can contribute in the prevention of hunger. They can allow aid to reach those who are at risk of hunger and starvation.
G7 nations also must meet their duties to cut their carbon dioxide emissions. They are mostly to blame for the global warming disaster. This has caused disorder on farming and agricultural systems and creating starvation and movement.
They should pay low-income countries for the losses and harm they have suffered. They should also assist smallholder farmers, particularly women farmers, in adapting to climate change. “This is not a question of charity, but of justice,” Emily Farr explained.