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	Conflict and insecurity continue to destroy lives and exacerbate humanitarian needs by CARE, IRC, NRC, agencies   Apr. 2019   Global Report on Food Crises, by WFP, FAO, OCHA, IPC, agencies   The Global Report on Food Crises highlights the plight of millions of people who must fight every day against acute hunger and malnutrition.   For several years the number of people who cannot meet their daily food needs without humanitarian assistance has been rising, primarily driven by two factors: persistent instability in conflict-ridden regions and adverse climate events.   Climate-induced disasters, economic crises and, above all, armed conflict, continued to drive hunger rates and food insecurity in 2018.   More than 113 million people across 53 countries experienced acute hunger requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) in 2018.   An additional 143 million people in a subset of 42 countries were found to be living in Stressed conditions on the cusp of acute hunger (IPC/CH Phase 2). They risked slipping into Crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above) if faced with a shock or stressor.   The worst food crises in 2018, in order of severity, were: Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Sudan, South Sudan and north Nigeria.   These eight countries accounted for two thirds of the total number of people facing acute food insecurity - amounting to nearly 72 million people. Countries in Africa remained disproportionally affected by food insecurity.   The figure of 113 million people represents a slight improvement over the number for 2017 presented in last year's report, in which an estimated 124 million people in 51 countries faced acute hunger. Despite the slight decrease, over the past three years, the report has consistently shown that, year on year, more than 100 million people(2016, 2017 and 2018) have faced periods of acute hunger.The modest decrease between 2017 and 2018 is largely attributed to changes in climate shocks.   A number of highly exposed countries did not experience the intensity of climate-related shocks and stressors that they had experienced in 2017 when they variously faced severe drought, flooding, erratic rains and temperature rises brought on by the El Nino of 2015-16. These include countries in southern and eastern Africa, the Horn of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region.   High levels of acute and chronic malnutrition in children living in emergency conditions remained of grave concern. The immediate drivers of undernutrition include poor dietary intake and disease. Mothers and caregivers often face challenges in providing children with the key micronutrients they need at critical growth periods in food crises.   This is reflected in the dismally low number of children consuming a minimum acceptable diet in most of the countries profiled in this report.   Conflict and insecurity, climate shocks and economic turbulence - the main drivers of food insecurity - continued to erode livelihoods and destroy lives. Conflict and insecurity remained the key driver in 2018. Some 74 million people - two thirds of those facing acute hunger - were located in 21 countries and territories affected by conflict or insecurity.   Around 33 million of these people were in 10 countries in Africa; over 27 million were in seven countries and territories in West Asia/Middle East; 13 million were in three countries in South/South-east Asia and 1.1 million in Eastern Europe.   Climate and natural disasters pushed another 29 million people into situations of acute food insecurity in 2018. As in previous years, most of these individuals were in Africa, where nearly 23 million people in 20 countries were acutely food insecure primarily due to climate shocks. Economic shocks were the primary driver of acute food insecurity for 10.2 million people, mainly in Burundi, the Sudan and Zimbabwe.   Food insecurity: short-term outlook for 2019   Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Sudan, South Sudan and north Nigeria are expected to remain among the world's most severe food crises in 2019.   Large segments of populations in most of these countries risk falling into Emergency (IPC/CH Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity.   Climate shocks and conflict will continue driving food insecurity and are expected once again to severely affect several regions. Dry weather in parts of southern Africa and drought in Central America's Dry Corridor have dampened prospects for agricultural output. El Nino conditions are likely to have an impact on agricultural production and food prices in Latin America and the Caribbean.   The needs of refugees and migrants in host countries are expected to remain significant in Bangladesh and the Syria regional crisis. The number of displaced people, refugees and migrants are expected to increase if the political and economic crisis persists in Venezuela.   Ending conflicts, empowering women, nourishing and educating children, improving rural infrastructure and reinforcing social safety-nets are essential for a resilient, stable and hunger-free world.   The potential for agricultural development and rural resilience-building to provide a buffer against crises, highlights the need for a new way of responding to food security challenges. Investments in conflict prevention and sustaining peace will save lives and livelihoods, reduce structural vulnerabilities and help address the root causes of hunger.   This report complements the evidence reported by The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 (SOFI), which identifies 821 million undernourished people. While the SOFI estimate provides the scale of chronic food insecurity worldwide, the Global Report on Food Crises focuses specifically on the most severe manifestations of acute food insecurity in the world's most pressing food crises.   * Access the full report (200pp): http://bit.ly/2uHg67x   http://www.fsinplatform.org/global-report-food-crises-2019 http://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition/2019/en/   Feb. 2019   Suffering in Silence - The 10 most under-reported humanitarian crises of 2018   The international aid organization CARE has launched a new report highlighting the ten most under-reported humanitarian crises of 2018. CARE's report aims to shine a rare spotlight on those humanitarian crises that have been neglected by the global public. Now in its third year of publishing, the report, called 'Suffering In Silence', found that the food crisis in Haiti received the least media attention globally. While the catastrophic Haiti earthquake in 2010 made global headlines, the food crisis in the Caribbean state in 2018 was largely overlooked and barely received international media coverage.   'We see more and more complex and chronic crises competing for public attention', says Caroline Kende-Robb, CARE International's Secretary General. 'Media coverage has always been a strong driver of funding for crises as well as creating political pressure to protect those in need. With dwindling international coverage, under-reported crises are at risk of falling completely off the radar'.   With multiple emergencies within its borders, the East African nation of Ethiopia made the top ten of neglected crises twice: the country continues to face a complex food crisis, with ongoing food insecurity sometimes tipping over into acute hunger as well as a regional displacement with more than 1 million people forced to flee their homes in the regions of Gedeo and West Guji.   In Madagascar, the number of people at risk of hunger increased to 1.3 million in southern regions due to unfavorable weather conditions. Other countries in crisis that ranked among the top ten list of CARE's report include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippines, Chad, Niger, Central African Republic and Sudan.   Boosting coverage for forgotten crises cannot be the job of media alone but should be a joint effort, says CARE. 'Media outlets, politicians, states and aid agencies need to join forces to find innovative ways to draw public attention to humanitarian needs', adds Kende-Robb.   'Given the challenges the media industry faces with shrinking funds, with coming under attacks that are undermining, and with limited access to some of the world's worst humanitarian crises, we are all responsible for raising the voices of those affected'.   CARE calls on international media, policy makers and civil society to increase their efforts to speak about neglected humanitarian crises around the world.   Increased funding and resources invested in reporting will not only result in better coverage of neglected crises but can, most importantly, help to bring urgent relief to those in need. This yearly analysis serves as a reminder and appeal to make room both in media and political debates for forgotten crises.   http://news.care.org/article/suffering-in-silence-iii/   Dec. 2018   Ravaged by Ebola and war, Congo named most neglected crisis of 2018. (Reuters)   With an Ebola epidemic raging and millions caught in a forgotten "catastrophe" of conflict and hunger, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the most neglected crisis of 2018, according to an annual Thomson Reuters Foundation poll of aid agencies.   This year's survey was unusual for the high number of "most forgotten crises", with experts also listing the Central African Republic, Lake Chad Basin, Yemen, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Burundi, Nigeria and, for the first time, Venezuela.   But Congo's "mega-crisis" barely made headlines, they said, even as the country gears up for landmark elections which some fear could stoke further unrest.   "The brutality of the conflict is shocking, the national and international neglect outrageous," said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "I visited Congo this year and have seldom witnessed such a gap between needs and assistance."   Congo, where 13 million people in a population of 82 million need help, also topped the annual Thomson Reuters Foundation poll in 2017, but agencies said the situation had deteriorated.   Six of 21 agencies polled named Congo as the most neglected crisis, including WFP, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, ActionAid, International Rescue Committee, and Christian Aid.   ActionAid's humanitarian advisor Rachid Boumnijel urged the international community to redouble efforts to end years of conflict characterised by sexual brutality.   "It's been a catastrophe for the country, and for women and girls particularly," Boumnijel said.   Christian Aid's head of humanitarian programmes Maurice Onyango said the violence had caused "large-scale trauma", with children witnessing parents and siblings being murdered.   An upsurge of fighting in the east of the mineral-rich country has also exacerbated the spread of the world's second largest Ebola outbreak, agencies said.   The Central African Republic, where armed groups control much of the country and 60 percent of the population needs assistance, came a close second in the poll.   Listed as the most neglected by OCHA, UNICEF, Mercy Corps, Plan International, and Caritas, the country has been racked by violence since mainly Muslim rebels ousted the president in 2013, provoking a backlash from Christian militias.   Armed groups are increasingly targeting schools, hospitals, mosques and churches, while attacks on aid workers have impacted a "chronically underfunded" humanitarian response, they said.   U.N. children's agency UNICEF said thousands of children had been trapped in armed groups or subjected to sexual violence.   "The crisis is growing increasingly desperate and resources are at breaking point," added UNICEF emergencies director Manuel Fontaine.   U.N. appeals for both DRC and CAR are less than 50 percent funded.   "Central African Republic is in a death spiral," said Caritas Secretary General Michel Roy. "While governments and the world's media have turned their backs, we must not. It's the only hope CAR has left."   Plan International said the media neglected complex crises like CAR and DRC because they lacked the shock factor of a sudden disaster like Indonesia's huge earthquake in September.   Yemen, at risk of the world's worst famine in 100 years, was highlighted by Muslim Hands and World Vision.   "With three quarters of the population needing assistance, I can't see how Yemen isn't at the top of everyone's list," said World Vision emergencies chief Mark Smith.   International Medical Corps warned the disaster in Lake Chad basin, where climate change and a prolonged insurgency by Boko Haram and Islamic State have left 11 million needing help, was also set to worsen next year.   Action Against Hunger said millions caught up in the "almost invisible" crisis - affecting Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon - faced poverty, hunger, sexual violence and child kidnapping.   The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world's biggest relief network, said hunger and disease following major flooding across Nigeria threatened to create a second protracted crisis in the country.   "I'm shocked by how little attention this has received. The figures are staggering," said IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy, adding that nearly 2 million people were impacted, more than 200,000 uprooted and swathes of cropland destroyed. "This massive disaster has gone largely unnoticed by many donors and journalists," he added.   This year was the first time Venezuela featured in the poll. About 3.3 million people have fled political turmoil and economic meltdown in the Latin American country - many driven by hunger and another 2 million could follow next year, according to U.N. estimates.   CARE said evidence on the ground suggested the real number fleeing was far higher than the U.N. figure. "Given its scale, it's incredible how neglected the situation in Venezuela is," said CARE humanitarian expert Tom Newby. "The world needs to wake up to this crisis."   Afghanistan was ranked the most neglected crisis by Islamic Relief Worldwide, and South Sudan by Save the Children. The UNHCR named Burundi while migration was highlighted by the Danish Refugee Council.   * OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2019 (80pp): http://bit.ly/2QuohRd   http://www.nrc.no/shorthand/fr/2019-will-be-another-year-of-crises/index.html http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2018/glimmers-of-hope/ http://www.rescue.org/sites/default/files/document/3391/ircemergencywatchlist2019.pdf http://theirworld.org/news/education-under-attack-in-2018-conflicts-natural-disasters http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/world-has-failed-protect-children-conflict-2018-unicef http://www.passblue.com/2018/12/24/where-is-the-worst-place-for-a-child-to-be-born/ http://data.unicef.org/resources/levels-and-trends-in-child-mortality/   http://www.savethechildren.net/article/famine-or-not-120000-children-yemen-are-catastrophic-condition http://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/yemens-children-15-million-lives-scarred-and-voices-not-heard http://bit.ly/2PIS3NJ http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/breaking-vicious-cycle-between-hunger-conflict-central-african http://www.irinnews.org/feature/2019/01/02/ten-humanitarian-crises-and-trends-watch-2019 http://www.globalr2p.org/ http://www.msf.org/year-pictures-2018 Visit the related web page
	It is too easy for States to use food and water as weapons of war by Hilal Elver UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food   Apr. 2019   Interview with Hilal Elver, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food by Global Rights Compliance, World Peace Foundation - Starvation Accountability   Q: Your tenure as SR has witnessed the re-emergence of famines and severe food insecurity globally, how has this shaped your mandate and missions?   Yes, unfortunately, in my time as SR, the amount of people who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition has increased rather than decreased. As of today, this figure has reached approximately 821 Million, an 11 % increase since 2005. This is an alarming development, to say the least. One of the major reasons for this trajectory is conflicts and extreme weather events.   Often, these two factors converge, with one triggering the other, creating serious levels of hunger and malnutrition in the affected areas.   Undoubtedly, this pattern has influenced my work as SR and as a result, I issued reports on climate change, conflict situations, as well as natural disasters and emergency assistance, all in the context of the right to food.   Regrettably, UN rules prohibit me from visiting countries in conflict zones in my capacity as SR, and our missions require an invitation from the hosting countries, so I have not been able to visit countries experiencing ongoing conflict.   Q3: Do you encounter in your work with States and relevant stakeholders any confusion between the obligations enshrined in the right to food and the crime of starvation, and if so how do you tackle this problem?   Yes, of course. Unfortunately, some States and stakeholders erroneously consider the right to food as an obligation that exists only during times of peace, but not in emergencies. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), however, makes no distinction between times of peace and emergency or conflict situations.   The rights contained in the ICESCR, including the right to food, are applicable at all times, and States are primarily responsible for realizing these rights.   Moreover, States have a positive responsibility to act in order to help people in times of difficulties, with priority to the most vulnerable.   International human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) do not place limits on these responsibilities or allow States to derogate from the ICESCR, even in times of conflict.   Although IHL does not specifically mention the right to food, its principles clearly protect people from hunger, protect productive resources necessary to maintain food stuff, etc., and prohibit any attacks on areas that are important for food production.   Nevertheless, most of the time, you feel that there is a disconnect between IHL and the right to food, and a lack of understanding about State responsibilities during times of conflict or emergency continues.   Arguably, this disconnect is often more of a deliberate refusal to uphold obligations than a simple misunderstanding.   During times of conflict and emergency, States are also unable to easily execute responsibilities, or their capabilities are significantly reduced.   It is too easy for States to use food and water as weapons of war, especially if animosity towards people is very high, and weaponizing such essentials to survival has historically been effective at causing tremendous harm.   Despite condemning this practice as a severe criminal act, Special Rapporteurs, as part of the UN human rights system, have no power to intervene beyond 'naming and shaming' those responsible.   Therefore, I believe that our reports and actions should be empowered by the UN's security apparatus. This is the only way to remind States that their human rights obligations do not end in times of emergency, and that if they deliberately use food as a weapon, or siege innocent civilians to gain political benefits, they have committed a crime and they should be punished. This applies not just to States but to armed resistance groups as well.   Thus far, we have not seen a single State or armed group punished for the deliberate starvation of innocent people. This needs to change.   Special Rapporteurs should send communications and allegations letters to governments when there is evidence of deliberate starvation. Though this action would not immediately bring those responsible to justice, it would make the atrocity publicly known within the international community and it might help stop further harm.   Q4: You were on a panel during UN Human Rights Council 39th session in Geneva which looked at man-made famines and deliberate starvation, here you talked about how the crime of starvation has been neglected, an area we focus on in our 'Mass Starvation' Project with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can you identify what political or perceived blockages you have encountered which have contributed to this neglect?   As I mentioned above, the current design and mechanisms of the UN human rights system are not strong enough to change the behaviours of States. The field of International Criminal Law, however, after many years of stalling in its development and application, along with the establishment of International Criminal Court, has been significantly advanced.   Deliberate starvation is widely accepted as a crime by the international law community, either as a war crime or a crime against humanity, but there has not been a single case brought before courts, domestic or international.   There are technical reasons for this inaction; for example, it is considered extremely difficult to prove intent, and starvation or famine is a slow and silent onset that the international community ignores until it results in mass death.   Also, starvation generally occurs in conjunction with other grave crimes that are more likely to be the focus of a case. More importantly, there does not seem to be enough political will to stop such impunity among important States that have veto power in the UN Security Council.   This wide impunity encourages States and armed militias to use starvation as a very cheap weapon without hesitation. The international community should stop this impunity and the recent Resolution of the UN Security Council resolution 2417 is an important step forward.   We need to encourage States to build political will necessary to articulate a clear law for the crime of starvation, and to politically commit themselves to prosecute it in the event of a violation.   Q5: You also talked about how 'contrary to popular belief, casualties resulting directly from combat usually make up only a small proportion of deaths in conflict zones, with most individuals in fact perishing from hunger and diseases'. Global Rights Compliance has explored with our partner organisation The World Peace Foundation, the fact that those that die from these non-violent means are often treated as 'second-class victims' and often lack the recognition of war fatalities. Can you discuss this further?   This is a very important point. The real victims of conflict are not only the people who take up arms and go to battle, but women, children and the elderly who stay at home in their villages and struggle with a shortage of food, water, and medicine.   Women and girls are exposed to sexual or other violence, sometimes in an attempt to secure food and water for their families. Infectious diseases and malnutrition; the lasting impacts of which continue from generation to generation do not cause immediate noise within the context of a louder conflict.   Still, the impact of malnutrition destroys human capacity if it strikes children within the first 2 years of life, even for only a short period of time. It is our role to give the afflicted a voice, and to amplify their calls.   As human rights defender, I believe that we have obligation to express these issues on international platforms, not only by writing long UN reports, but also by using media, films, pictures, and conferences to show the world that the impact of conflict is far deeper than the lines of soldiers killed in battle.   The negative impact of conflict extends for decades, generations even when it comes to protracted crises, and may cause waves of forced migration and internal displacement.   Q6: You recently recommended a global convention to prevent famine, could you outline why?   In my conflict report, I recommended that States and relevant stakeholders in the international community work towards a global convention to prevent famine. Such an instrument may not be necessary if we lived in perfect world. There are enough laws and principles that could be easily interpreted as defining famine is a severe crime, punishable by international courts or in domestic courts by applying universal jurisdiction against perpetrators.   However, from the positivist law perspective, having a clear definition of the crime through a specific convention may help to stop impunity. Criminal law tends to be more strictly implemented than other areas of international law, it is important to make a clear-cut legal definition of the crime of famine that will make it more justiciable.   Also we can consider some of the actions that will not rise to the level of criminality, but which are dangerous in the long run. So, having a convention that has teeth to prevent famine before it occurs is a vital step.   As I mentioned in my report, the convention should include other important remedies to prevent and punish famine, similar to the Genocide Convention or Apartheid Convention.   A draft convention also raises the argument of whether the international community has enough political will to come together and discuss such an instrument. As a first step, the International Law Commission should start to work with the Human Rights Council and international law experts. We need to further articulate this idea.   Q7: What information concerning the law or practice would better equip you to successfully deliver upon your mandate and raise awareness of the right to food and starvation crimes?   It is very important to follow reports and findings from various UN organizations, humanitarian agencies, international law experts and civil society mechanisms to warn us about potential dangers before they arrive. Because most of the time, due to delay, it is difficult to reverse course, and to effectively intervene.   We need to rely on and to further develop early warning systems that will help us act timely and protect against violations of the right to food.   It is also important for my mandate to have sufficient information about ongoing conflicts so that I may increase the awareness and respond accurately and swiftly within my capacity. So, cooperated action among all stakeholders is necessary and vital.   Keeping the issue of the right to food and starvation crimes alive and active in the international agenda is also important for progressing the conversation and enacting change in years to come.   The international community should be ready, politically and financially, to tackle this issue, because at the end of the day, conflict affects all of us, no matter where we live.   http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/story-in-focus-interview-with-hilal-elver-un-special-rapporteur-on-the-right-to-food http://hilalelver.org/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Food/Pages/FoodIndex.aspx   Oct. 2017   States must act now to fulfil famine victims' right to food, by Hilal Elver - UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food   The tragic reality of famine around the world has revealed that many States are failing to uphold their legal responsibilities, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, told the UN General Assembly.   She also called for an urgent shift in thinking away from crisis reactions and toward famine prevention.   'Contrary to popular belief, casualties resulting directly from combat usually make up only a small proportion of deaths in conflict zones, with most individuals in fact perishing from hunger and disease', Ms. Elver said in her annual report to the General Assembly.   The Special Rapporteur said that this year the world has faced the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations. Around 20 million people have faced famine and 'devastating' starvation in crises in north-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, all of which had arisen from conflict.   Another estimated 70 million people in 45 countries currently require emergency food assistance, an increase of 40 per cent from 2015, she said, also highlighting the serious starvation and severe right to food violations currently affecting the Rohingya people.   Ms. Elver hailed the 'essential' work of the international humanitarian system in getting food to conflict victims and lowering death tolls.   But she said States and other parties involved in conflicts needed to recognize their own duty to act, and above all, avoid using hunger as a weapon of war. The right to food is an unconditional human right and legal entitlement for all people, not a discretionary option, she stressed.   'The human right to adequate food is a core right, indispensable for the enjoyment of all other human rights', Ms Elver stated. 'Freedom from hunger is accepted as part of customary international law, rendering it binding on all States'.   'It is crucial that the international community understands that it is an international crime to intentionally block access to food, food aid, and to destroy production of food. Such acts as crimes against humanity, or war crimes'.   She added that the most serious cases should be referred to the International Criminal Court for investigation and possible prosecution.   'If the international community is serious about the imperative character of the right to food and the eradication of food insecurity in times of war and peace, steps must be taken to encourage the implementation of existing standards and to codify international law principles applicable to the right to food', the expert said.   The Special Rapporteur urged all governments to focus on long-term policies to break the vicious cycle of recurring famines.   'Human rights violations, war crimes, repression and gross forms of inequality are conditions that frequently give rise to famine', she said. 'The attention and commitment of the international community must, as a matter of the highest priority, be directed toward eliminating the root causes of famine, and not limited to ad hoc responses to the agonizing symptoms of the latest food emergency'. http://bit.ly/2PSMCNT   http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/72/188 http://hilalelver.org/ http://starvationaccountability.org/ Visit the related web page
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