The updated Global Report on Food Crises reveals that nearly two million people are now struggling with the most critical level of food insecurity, classified as Phase 5 on the global IPC scalewho keeps track of acute hunger.
This level represents “extreme food shortages and exhaustion of adaptive capacity,” with a greatly increased risk of acute malnutrition and death.
“Besides causing widespread acute malnutrition and mortality in the short term, it has major human, social and economic consequences in the long term.“, the report said.
The report also found that acute malnutrition among children and women in crisis-hit countries remained “persistently high”, with many families unable to afford a healthy diet.
It was also noted that improved harvests have contributed to reducing hunger in several countries, including Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guatemala, Lebanon and Afghanistan.
The report was prepared by a consortium of UN agencies, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (Food and Commodities Authority), World Food Programme (World Food Programme), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with humanitarian partners.
Complete collapse in Gaza
UNICEF Director of Child Nutrition Victor Aguayo described the situation of children suffering from severe malnutrition.
During a briefing to journalists at UN headquarters in New York, he described the situation in Gaza as one of the most serious food and nutrition crises in history.
“The nutritional situation in Gaza is one of the most serious we have ever seen“…it is important to remember that almost half of the Gaza population suffering from this devastation are children,” he said.
Returning from the enclave last week, he said the impact of the war and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid had led to a “complete collapse” of food, health and protection systems, with catastrophic consequences.
© FAO/Yousef Alrozzi
Most of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed by the conflict.
‘No doubt’ that famine will continue
“It is a fact that the diet of children in Gaza is extremely poor. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of children eat a maximum of two types of food per day for weeks or monthsin the context of a very serious…lack of access to safe water and sanitation,” he said.
It is estimated that more than 50,000 children require immediate treatment for acute malnutrition, which requires medical professionals and nutritionists.
“I walked through markets and neighborhoods, or what’s left of markets and neighborhoods…there is no doubt in my mind that there is famine and a large-scale food crisis“, he stressed, calling for an immediate ceasefire and continued humanitarian access.
Rapid decline in Sudan
Máximo Torero, Chief Economist at FAO, stressed the rapid deterioration of food security in Sudan.
The ongoing conflict between rival armies and limited humanitarian access have led to famine in some IDP camps and the risk of further spread. The situation is not expected to improve, at least until October.
“The conflict continues to cause a rapid deterioration in food security“It is estimated that around 26 percent more people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in the period from June to September compared to June last year, bringing the total to 25.6 million people in crisis or worse,” he said.
The crisis also has implications for neighbouring countries, including Chad and South Sudan, which are hosting large numbers of Sudanese refugees while facing their own conflicts and climate-related crises, he added.
© WFP/Sylvain Barral
Trucks carrying essential food supplies cross the border from Chad into Sudan through the Adre border crossing.
Access and financing
WFP Chief Economist Arif Husain highlighted the growing global burden of food crises, which are expected to rise from 90 million people in 2023 to 99 million this year.
He stressed the need for both access and financing to effectively address the crisis.
“The first is access – physical access to people in need, safe and sustainable access,” he said, adding: “The second is financing to deliver aid in a sustainable way, until that time comes.”
“If you have one, it’s not enough. If you only have access or if you only have money, that’s not enough. You need both,he emphasized.
Whether it is war or climate, if we do not address the root causes, we cannot expect needs to decrease.
– Arif Husain, WFP Chief Economist
Address the root causes
Mr Husain also stressed the need to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
“Whether it’s war or climate, if we don’t address the root causes, we cannot expect needs to decrease,” he said.
Finally, he said that while experts and humanitarian workers are aware of the situations described in the report, there are many other hotspots where conditions are similar but where little information or data is available, such as in Zambia.
“But we can’t say there’s a famine because we don’t have the data. So access – to get the information – is also crucial.”
