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Showing posts with label Famine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Famine. Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2017

UN says South Sudan is in Famine

Some three agencies of the United Nations (UN) have warned that almost 5 million people urgently need food, agriculture and nutrition assistance in the Southern Sudan city of Juba, reports NaijaAgroNet.

These agencies told NaijaAgroNet that the war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation in parts of South Sudan where famine was declared on Monday, just as a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine. 

The trio agencies, namely the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) equally, warned that urgent action is needed to prevent more people from dying of hunger. If sustained and adequate assistance is delivered urgently, the hunger situation can be improved in the coming months and further suffering mitigated. 

The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released today by the government, the three agencies and other humanitarian partners, 4.9 million people - more than 40 percent of South Sudan's population - are in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.

In addition, the agencies said there is need for humanitarian access, maintaining that unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone facing famine, or at risk of famine, is urgently needed to reverse the escalating catastrophe.

As said by the UN agencies urged, further spread of famine could only be prevented if humanitarian assistance is scaled up and reaches the most vulnerable.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that famine is currently affecting parts of Unity State in the northern-central part of the country, and formal famine declaration means people have already started dying of hunger.
“The situation is the worst hunger catastrophe since fighting erupted more than three years ago,” UN said.

For FAO Representative in South Sudan Serge Tissot, famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and the worst fears have been realized, as many families have exhausted every means they have to survive.

"The people are predominantly farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. They've lost their livestock, even their farming tools. For months there has been a total reliance on whatever plants they can find and fish they can catch," Tissot said.


UN further described malnutrition as a major public health emergency, exacerbated by the widespread fighting, displacement, poor access to health services and low coverage of sanitation facilities.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE 
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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Haiti needs N11.62b for agric rehabilitation, FAO

Colossal damage in Haiti caused by Hurricane Sandy

In order to help rehabilitate Haiti's agriculture sector for the next one year, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Haiti Government are jointly seeking $74 million, about N11.62 billion.
The fund is important as the sandy, Superstorm of October really caused colossal damage to Haiti's crops, land, livestock, fisheries and rural infrastructural alike.
NaijaAgroNet learnt that the October 23 hit was the third disaster in few months. The October 23 superstorm was a three consecutive days of intense winds and heavy rain leading to severe flooding which damage and destroyed homes, farms and public infrastructure.
The three disasters has also cost the Government of Haiti to loss $254 million, about N39.9 billion and affected the living condition of 1.5 million people.
FAO in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet revealed that the Superstorm also resulted in over half a million Haitians being food insecure.
FAO and Haiti Government would be using about N628 million of the needed amount to immediately assist 20,000 families to enable them make it through the winter cropping season which starts in December.
FAO Senior Emergency Coordinator in Haiti, Adam Yao said that the recent natural disasters in the Caribbean country need a robust response of the UN agency to support ongoing government efforts.


Yinka Awosanya


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Friday, July 27, 2012

Somalia may slide back to food insecurity – FAO warns


Irrigated crops make Somali farmers more resilient.
Head of operations at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FOA) in Somalia, Luca Alinovi has sounded a warning that the country may slide back into food crisis, if present initiative towards food security is disengaged.
“By designing and executing a build-back-better process,” Luca said affected Somalia communities had get back on their feet in months but the danger is that the initiatives should be sustained in order to ensure full recovery from drought.
The eastern Africa republic is still at the verge of drought as the situations remains critical, hence, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization affirmed that continued aid is vital.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that the United Nations made a declaration last year July about the state of famine in Somalia which caused thousands of deaths and call for a massive humanitarian aid programme in a bid to preserve food security in the affected areas.
One of FAO’s latest forecasts also warns of reduced rains in the year which will lead to a below-average to poor harvest in some parts of the south which include the major sorghum-producing region, and deterioration of food security situation.
Aid strategy by the UN agency was designed to help farmers and herders to build long-term resilience to drought and other emergencies in regions plagued by recurrent droughts.
Yinka Awosanya/LS
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