Two UN food agencies warned on Wednesday that millions more people worldwide could risk famine, as funding shortages exacerbate already grave conditions.
According to a joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme, conflict and violence are generating acute food insecurity in the majority of the countries listed as at risk.
The Rome-based agencies identified Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen as the worst, “where populations face an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger.”
Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria were also listed as “very high concern,” along with Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the Rohingya refugee situation in Bangladesh.
“We are on the brink of a completely preventable hunger catastrophe that threatens widespread starvation in multiple countries,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, warning that a failure to act “will only drive further instability, migration, and conflict.”
Funding for humanitarian relief was “dangerously short,” according to the report, with only $10.5 billion received out of the required $29 billion to assist people in need.
WFP stated that due to funding shortages, it has restricted assistance to refugees and displaced people while suspending school feeding programs in some countries.
The FAO warned that attempts to protect agricultural livelihoods were jeopardized, “which are essential for stabilizing food production and preventing recurring crises.”
Funding was required for crops and cattle health services, it stated, “before planting seasons begin or new shocks occur.”
