Globally, the percentage of the population with high levels of food insecurity in 2023 was 21.5%, and the number of affected people increased by almost 24 million (due to the inclusion of new territories) this year, the fifth in a row in which this indicator grows.
The Gaza Strip suffers the largest food catastrophe on the planet at least in the last two decades, since there are records, as revealed by the annual report of the Global Network against Food Crises (GNAFC) in collaboration with the FAO and other UN agencies published this Wednesday
Furthermore, it is encrypted in more than 281 million people suffered food insecurity acute in 59 countries during 2023.
“The Gaza Strip has the highest number of people suffering from catastrophic hunger ever recorded by the World Food Crises Report,” warned the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
Half of Gaza’s population, around 1.1 million people, is at the highest level of the CPI classification, which the agency defines as a “famine catastrophe.”
world famine
In the world, the percentage of population with high levels of food insecurity in 2023 it was 21.5%and the number of people affected increased by almost 24 million (due to the inclusion of new territories) this year, the fifth consecutive year in which this indicator has grown.
In addition to the Gaza Strip and Sudanthe countries that suffer major food crises are Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Yemen.
Conflict, insecurity, extreme weather events and economic disruption worsened the situation in 12 countries, including Colombia, Ivory Coast and Senegalwhich were included for the first time in the report.
In addition, 36 countries are suffering from prolonged food crises, of which in 19, 80% of the total population is affected by food shortages, according to the GNAFC.
Forecasts for 2024
In 2024, “the conflicts and insecurity“will continue to be the main drivers of acute food insecurity, as will the El Niño climate phenomenonwhich is likely to “manifest throughout the year,” the report highlights.
But also the economy will play an important role in the development of the food crises that plague the planet, and food exporting countries with weakened currencies, such as Nigeria, Malawi or Lebanon, will have to deal “with internal food prices and the weak purchasing power of households” .
Also the decrease in humanitarian aid funding and rising delivery costs “pose a new threat” that results in “a reduction in beneficiaries and rations of food assistance among many populations.”
Source: Eitb
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.