View previous stories
	Red Cross warns millions of people at risk of acute hunger in sub-Saharan Africa by WFP, Red Cross, Oxfam, Christian Aid, agencies   July 2016   The World Food Program has activated its own internal emergency response mechanism, elevating the food crisis caused by El Nino in southern Africa to a “level 3” emergency.   That’s the highest level, putting it on par South Sudan, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.   Speaking from Malawi, World Food Program executive director Ertharin Cousin says the WFP is planning to reach 11.8 million people in the region with food assistance between now and March 2017. But to do so, they need some $549 million and raising this money has been difficult because the crisis in Southern Africa is a slow burning and off the headlines. “We have not received much attention from the world community as this situation escalates,” she said.   Ms. Cousin says $204 million is needed “urgently” to preposition food ahead of a coming rainy season that is expected to be particularly intense as El Nino’s sister weather phenomenon, La Nina, sets in.   Apr. 2016   Southern Africa drought needs swift response as millions hungry - aid agencies. (Reuters)   Southern African governments and donors must respond swiftly to the regional drought emergency triggered by El Niño, aid agencies said this week, with millions in the region facing hunger.   Responding to a statement by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) declaring a regional disaster, Oxfam, Save the Children and CARE said some 28-30 million people faced severe hunger, a figure that could rise quickly to 49 million if no action is taken.   "We are especially concerned about the impacts of the crisis on women and girls," said Emma Naylor-Ngugi of the humanitarian group CARE. "Increasingly, families are skipping meals and eating wild fruits to get by."   The agencies urged governments and donors to coordinate their responses to the drought, prompted by the powerful El Niño phenomenon, which has driven two consecutive bad harvests and the failure of life-supporting crops.   The drought has hit much of the region, including the maize belt in South Africa, the continent"s most advanced economy and the top producer of the staple grain.   "Investing in a robust response was essential months ago and it is critical now," said Alan Paul of Save the Children"s East and Southern Africa region.   Even though the powerful El Niño weather phenomenon blamed for the drought is forecast to dissipate in the coming months, its impact on people in affected countries will last far longer, the United Nations has warned.   Oxfam"s Innocent Katsande urged all Southern African governments to declare the drought a disaster, pointing to Malawi as an example of a government that had not yet done so.   "Political leadership is crucial," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Governments need to coordinate their response to the crisis, bringing together donors and agencies."   SADC"s announcement approved the creation of a regional logistics team to coordinate the immediate response, and urged member states to scale up technological development for agriculture, energy, and water, in order to mitigate the impact of climate change on the region"s poorest people.   "This current phenomenon is a strong sign of what we can expect from a climate-changed world," said Oxfam"s Daniel Sinnathamby.   "We need to meet people"s immediate needs but we must address the longer-term issues which have made men, women and children in Southern Africa chronically vulnerable."   http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2016-03-16/oxfam-save-children-and-care-call-donor-intervention-southern http://www.elninooxfam.org/   Feb 26, 2016   The Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Friday 28 million people in the region were rendered vulnerable and in urgent need of "food and non-food" relief after last year''s poor rains were followed by an El Nino-triggered drought.   That is double the 14 million people whom the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said faced hunger in late January.   "The numbers are likely to increase in view of the current El Nino," SADC said in a statement after a regional food security meeting in Johannesburg.   http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/west-and-central-africa-humanitarian-bulletin-february-2016 http://reliefweb.int/report/lesotho/red-cross-lack-funding-means-starving-families-across-southern-africa-will-not-get http://reliefweb.int/report/mauritania/wfp-unicef-issue-urgent-call-support-continue-vital-assistance-mauritania http://scalingupnutrition.org/news/nearly-one-million-children-malnourished-as-el-nino-drought-situation-worsens http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/16/drought-high-temperatures-el-nino-36m-people-africa-hunger http://www.who.int/hac/crises/el-nino/22january2015/en/   Jan. 2016   Funding shortfall threatens UN efforts to counter El Niño-exacerbated drought in southern Africa. (UN News, WFP)   With 14 million people facing hunger in southern Africa as the El Niño weather pattern, the worst in over three decades, exacerbates drought, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that it faces critical funding challenges in scaling up food and cash-based aid.   “The number of people without enough food could rise significantly over coming months as the region moves deeper into the so-called lean season, the period before the April harvest when food and cash stocks become increasingly depleted,” WFP said in a news release. “Particularly vulnerable are smallholder farmers who account for most agricultural production.”   The cyclical El Niño pattern of devastating droughts on some regions and catastrophic floods in others that can affect tens of millions of people around the globe, is already leading to even worse drought across southern Africa, affecting this year''s crops.   With little or no rain falling in many areas and the window for the planting of cereals closing fast or already closed in some countries, the outlook is alarming.   “Driving through southern Zambia, I saw fields of crops severely stressed from lack of water and met farmers who are struggling to cope with a second season of erratic rains,” WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said at the end of a visit to drought-prone southern Zambia.   “Zambia is one of the biggest breadbaskets in the region and what''s happening there gives serious cause for concern not only for Zambia itself but all countries in the region.”   Worst affected by last year''s poor rains are Malawi with 2.8 million people facing hunger, Madagascar with nearly 1.9 million, and Zimbabwe with 1.5 million and last year''s harvest reduced by half compared to the previous year due to massive crop failure.   In Lesotho, the Government has declared a drought emergency and some 650,000 people, a third of the population, do not have enough food. As elsewhere, water is in extremely short supply for both crops and livestock. Also causing concern are Angola, Mozambique and Swaziland.   Food prices across southern Africa have been rising due to reduced production and availability. The price of maize, the staple for most of the region, is 73 per cent higher in Malawi than the three-year average for this time of year.   “I''m particularly concerned that smallholders won''t be able to harvest enough crops to feed their own families through the year, let alone to sell what little they can in order to cover school fees and other household needs,” Ms. Cousin said.   WFP is working with Governments, regional organizations and other partners on contingency, preparedness to secure food supplies and protect people''s livelihoods.   WFP assessment analysts estimate that more than 40 million rural and 9 million urban people in the region live in geographic zones that are highly exposed to the fall-out from El Niño. South Africa, the major breadbasket of the region, has indicated that this El Niño-induced drought is the worst the country has suffered in more than half a century.   One particularly worrying symptom of southern Africa''s vulnerability to food and nutrition security is the alarming rate of chronic malnutrition. Levels of stunting among children in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are among the worst in the world.   This affects children''s physical growth, cognitive development, as well as their future health and productivity.   http://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/el-ni-o-set-have-devastating-impact-southern-africa-s-harvests-and-food-security http://www.unicef.org/esaro/5440_2016_malnutrition-mounts.html http://reliefweb.int/report/world/el-nino-causing-catastrophic-water-shortages-across-world-affecting-children-most-says http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/growing-concern-about-el-ninos-impact-southern-africa-planting-window-closes http://www.wfp.org/videos/focus-zero-hunger-el-ni%C3%B1o-2016 http://reliefweb.int/report/zimbabwe/wfp-southern-africa-el-ni-o-situation-report-5-february-2016 http://www.who.int/hac/crises/el-nino/22january2015/en/   Jan. 2016 (Allafrica, agencies)   Millions of people in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean are likely to go hungry in the first six months of 2016, as El Niño reaches its peak and its full impact begins to show.   Humanitarian agencies have issued warnings of a major food crisis, along with water shortages and disease outbreaks.   Most of East Africa is already stressed in terms of food security, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. Parts of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Sudan are already in the crisis and emergency stages on the hunger scale, with millions of people needing food assistance.   Fewsnet also reports that Ethiopia is the most affected country. The country is currently experiencing a drought that will leave millions of people in need of food aid in the first half of 2016. Already, aid agencies have issued a food security emergency alert, with areas most affected listed as Southern Afar and Northern Somali -- which are already in the emergency stage on the hunger scale.   "It''s already too late for some regions to avoid a major emergency," says Oxfam. "It will cost at least $1.4 billion to respond to the emergency in Ethiopia."   The drought has been made worse by the super El Niño that is sweeping across the world. Oxfam says it intends to reach at least 777,000 people to provide them with water, sanitation and food aid.   "Millions of people in places like Ethiopia, Haiti and Papua New Guinea are already feeling the effects of drought and crop failure. We urgently need to get help to these areas to make sure people have enough food and water," said Jane Cocking, Oxfam''s humanitarian director.   Other countries of high concern are South Sudan and Yemen, both of which are affected by conflict. Nigeria, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Haiti, Central America and the Southern Africa region are also on the hunger watch list in 2016.   In Sudan, the Blue Nile region and South Kordofan states are the most affected, with the food security situation said to be deteriorating. Harvests are projected to be very low, worsened by the El Niño. Food insecurity is expected to become more acute later in the year.   And then there''s Southern Africa. People in the region are expected to begin experiencing food shortages as early as February and South Africa has already declared several provinces as disaster areas due to the El Niño.   "Aid agencies are already stretched responding to the crises in Syria, South Sudan and Yemen. We cannot afford other large-scale emergencies developing elsewhere. If the world waits to respond to emerging crises in southern Africa and Latin America, we will not be able to cope," says Oxfam.   The drought in South Africa is the worst since 1982, with at least 2.7 million people facing water and food shortages. The lack of rain brought with it high temperatures in many parts of South Africa.   The Food and Agriculture Organisation has issued an alert for southern Africa, saying that the failing crop output will impact greatly on food security.   The region''s small-scale farmers are almost entirely dependent on rain, rendering their output highly susceptible to its variations.   South Africa has already declared drought status for five provinces, its main cereal producing regions, while Lesotho has issued a drought mitigation plan and Swaziland has implemented water restrictions as reservoir levels have become low.   Due to lack of rain and water, crop survival is impossible, meaning no income for the farmers. Food prices are already rising and expected to rise further in the first few months of the year, mostly as a result of importing food.   FAO reports that maize meal price increase has already hit 50 per cent. Maize is the staple crop in South Africa.   In Malawi, the national food security forecast for 2016 estimates that 2.9 million people will need emergency food aid before March. Fews says that up to 2.8 million people are likely to face acute food shortage in Malawi alone. Zimbabwe will experience significantly low maize harvests, straining food security.   Other countries affected by the El Niño drought in Southern Africa include Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. The UN Children''s Fund estimates that at least 11 million children will face starvation as a result.   The 2015/2016 El Niño cycle is believed to be much stronger than the 1997 cycle and the worst ever recorded in 50 years.   http://www.oxfam.org/en/ethiopia/el-nino-strikes-ethiopia-without-water-we-are-no-more http://www.unicef.org/media/media_86549.html http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/369894/icode/ http://www.fews.net/ http://www.wfp.org/stories/drought-plunge-lesotho-food-crisis http://www.unocha.org/el-nino http://www.irinnews.org/report/31717/zimbabwe-president-declares-disaster   October 2015   Red Cross warns tens of millions of people at risk of hunger in sub-Saharan Africa as El Niño strengthens.   Up to 60 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, do not have enough to eat this year and indications are strong that the food production situation is set to further deteriorate. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is warning that increased support is needed now to alleviate hunger, and to prepare for worsening conditions for farmers.   “The regularity with which we see food insecurity in Africa has left many people apathetic. But the crisis currently facing millions of families is not inevitable and should not be acceptable,” said Michael Charles, IFRC acting regional representative in southern Africa.   “There are many things that we can do to stop this food crisis in its tracks and alleviate the impact on vulnerable people, but we need international support to make this happen.”   A series of climatic shocks in 2014 and 2015 decimated harvests, leaving many people dependent on food aid to survive. Floods and drought in southern Africa resulted in significant declines in maize production, the regional staple. Erratic rainfall, failed crops and violence in the Sahel and eastern Africa have compromised the livelihoods of many farming communities.   But the worst is yet to come. The El Niño climate phenomenon, characterized by a warming in the Pacific Ocean, is set to strengthen over the coming months and persist into 2016. When El Niño occurs, rainfall patterns shift, increasing the risk of extreme weather events. The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre predicts a higher likelihood of flood conditions developing in equatorial Africa, and increased risk of drought in parts of southern Africa and the Sahel region.   “Many families are surviving on one meal a day made from leaves, which have very little nutritional value. Or, they are even going without food for days because of the erratic rainfall,” said Miriam Grove, IFRC operations manager, The Sahel.   “These people need urgent assistance. If we can help them now, we can maintain their nutritional status and give them the tools and seeds necessary to survive worsening conditions next year.”   To meet the immediate needs of the most vulnerable, IFRC has launched six emergency appeals across six countries: Gambia, Mauritania, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. The appeals combine immediate food relief with disaster preparedness initiatives that will equip communities to cope with further climatic shocks. Across the continent, the Red Cross Red Crescent is also investing in long-term food security programmes for millions of people that help build resilience to climatic shocks.   Without increased support, the prospect for many affected people is bleak. Malnutrition is already high in sub-Saharan Africa. UNICEF reports that 37 per cent of children in the region are stunted, which is indicative of long-term nutritional problems. Further decreases in the availability of nutritious food may be life-threatening for children, people living with HIV, and other vulnerable groups.   “The economic strain of food insecurity on families also leads people to adopt negative coping mechanisms to feed themselves,” added Charles. “Parents pull their children from school. Farmers sell their livestock, leaving them without the animals needed to work their land. Addressing the food crisis now, and ensuring sustainable funding for longer-term food security programmes, will prevent people from falling into deeper cycles of vulnerability. This is our window of opportunity to act.”   The Sahel   According to the Regional Harmonized Framework of March 2015, 23,052,000 people in the Sahel are in the under-pressure phase of food insecurity; 4,749,000 people are in crisis phase.   In The Gambia, more than 1.6 million people are food insecure, following a 24 per cent reduction in cereal production. The IFRC is seeking to assist 63,100 people who are among the most vulnerable, in both the immediate and long term. The appeal is currently 7 per cent funded.   In Mauritania, a rainfall deficit has decimated crop production and negatively impacted the livestock sector. In January 2015, 23.8 per cent of households were food insecure with 723,000 people in the under-pressure phase, and an additional 260,000 people in crisis. The IFRC has launched an Emergency Appeal to support 37,400 of the most vulnerable with immediate or longer term support. The appeal is currently 4 per cent funded.   In March 2015, 2.3 million people in Senegal were considered under-pressure in regards to food insecurity, and a further 639,702 people in crisis. These figures were projected to increase to 3,147,370 people under-pressure, and 1,039,550 people in crisis by August. The IFRC Emergency Appeal aims to assist 72,000 people with immediate and longer term support. The appeal is currently 6 per cent funded.   Southern Africa   An estimated 27.4 million people in the Southern African Development Community will not have enough to eat in 2015 following a series of climatic shocks in 2014 and 2015. These people will be dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive.   More than 2.8 million people are food insecure in Malawi, following a 30 per cent reduction in the maize harvest. IFRC is appealing for support to provide food and livelihood support for 10,000 of the most vulnerable people.   In Namibia, more than half a million people are severely affected by drought and food insecurity. IFRC is appealing for support to support 11,500 severely affected people for seven months, with a focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, food security, nutrition and livelihoods.   IFRC is appealing for support to provide food, safe water and livelihoods support for farmers in Zimbabwe, where 1.5 million people will not have enough to meet their basic nutritional needs during the lean season from November to February.   http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/general/red-cross-warns-60-million-people-at-risk-of-acute-hunger-in-sub-saharan-africa-as-el-nino-strengthens/ http://reliefweb.int/report/south-africa/cop21-southern-africas-food-crisis-bad-worse   Oct. 2015   Malawi food crisis: Nearly 3 million at risk   Close to 3 million people are predicted to face hunger and acute food shortages in Malawi in the coming months, threatening the lives of country’s most vulnerable communities, says Christian Aid.   Malawi’s most severe food crisis in a decade is a result of drought, late and erratic rains during the last farming season, and the extensive floods that destroyed homes, farm land and crops in southern districts earlier this year.   The State President of the Republic of Malawi, Peter Muntharika, last week appealed to governments, donors and non-governmental organisations to help over 2,800,000 people who are currently experiencing food insecurity. The country urgently needs tens of millions of dollars to provide food assistance to at-risk households.   Christian Aid’s Programme Manager for Malawi, Howard Nkhoma, based in the capital Lilongwe, said: “The situation is grave. Crops have suffered and food prices are rising: for instance, the production of maize – Malawi’s staple food – has dropped by 30% in the past year, while maize prices have already risen by between 50% and 100%. This combination of factors has created the country’s first national food deficit in 10 years.   “Christian Aid is greatly concerned about people’s capacity to cope with this crisis. Malawi already has high rates of chronic and acute malnutrition, which will get even worse as people living in poverty see their food stocks dwindling. We are also worried about the impact on people living with HIV, who need good nourishment in order for their anti-retroviral treatment to work properly.   “Put simply, those at risk of food shortages are in a life-threatening situation, particularly in Phalombe, Nsanje and Chikwawa districts. Vulnerable households desperately need help to get basic food and nutrition.   “Christian Aid partners are taking part in recovery work in some communities. Christian Aid has been actively involved in the planning processes for the national response with the World Food Programme and the Government, who have been mobilising resources to provide food aid and cash transfers to affected households.”   Mr Nkhoma continued: “The country still has a funding gap of over US$130m. More funds are desperately needed, so that the worst-affected communities are given proper support to bridge the food-deficit gap and to ensure that women, children and men do not go hungry.   “For Christian Aid, our greatest priorities are breastfeeding mothers in poverty, children under five, people living with HIV on anti-retroviral treatment, and women-headed households.”   Malawi is among the world’s poorest countries and one of the most densely populated in Africa. It depends largely on agriculture, which accounts for more than a third of its GDP. However, many households lost their food reserves in the floods that affected some 630,000 people in January of this year.   http://www.wfp.org/stories/southern-africa-food-security-crisis-0 http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/un-seeks-boost-response-el-ninos-dire-impact-africa-and-asiapacific-urges-la-nin-p http://www.unicef.org/appeals/el-nino-crisis.html http://uni.cf/29CYGS9 http://www.unocha.org/el-nino   http://reliefweb.int/topics/el-ni-o-2015-16 http://www.fao.org/emergencies/crisis/el-nino/en/ http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/417108/icode/ http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/423058/icode/ http://bit.ly/28W5CGe   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/food-assistance-outlook-brief-july-2016 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/world-2016-2017-enso-overview-13-july-2016 http://reliefweb.int/report/zimbabwe/over-414-million-people-are-food-insecure-21-million-people-requiring-immediate http://reliefweb.int/report/world/el-ni-o-overview-impact-projected-humanitarian-needs-and-response-02-june-2016 http://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/wfp-begins-unprecedented-emergency-food-relief-operation-drought-hit-malawi http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2016/this-is-a-climate-crisis/ http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/07/monster-el-nino-subsides-la-nina-hitting-soon/ Visit the related web page
	Key messages on hunger and malnutrition by Cara Flowers Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), agencies   Cara Flowers a senior adviser with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) civil society network reflects on the Committee on World Food Security which took place 12-15 October in Italy.   On World Food Day on 16 October, United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said we need everyone from mayors to rock stars to UN agencies and governments to engage in the fight against hunger. I couldn’t agree more.   Governments have committed to eradicating hunger by 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but to achieve this we desperately need new alliances and partnerships that are inclusive and most importantly put communities at the centre of their work.   Despite its recurrence as a trend in global development and some notable gains outlined in the 2015 Global Nutrition Report, 2 billion people still experience micronutrient malnutrition (such as a lack of adequate iron, zinc, vitamin A or iodine), 161 million children under five are too short for their age and 51 million weigh less than they should.   The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) civil society network believes that we must be united across sectors and silos if we are to get anywhere to close to eliminating malnutrition. This means bold steps and radical actions. It might mean testing out new technologies and ways of working. For example, in Myanmar the SUN Civil Society Alliance (SUN CSA) and Save the Children UK are piloting mobile technologies for monitoring violations of the breastmilk substitute marketing code.   In Sierra Leone, the SUN CSA is also a platform for the Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative and is currently campaigning for the right to food and nutrition to be included in the national constitution. While in Ghana the SUN CSA has enlisted the support of a pop star Nobel Nketsiah who will donate 20 per cent of the proceeds of his next album to the SUN CSA and their 1000 Days campaign.   We will need to work with unlikely partners, be innovative and be open to dialogue and debate. However, we cannot shy away from accountability and changing course if things just aren’t working as is emphasised by the 2015 Global Nutrition Report’s theme of accountability.   I attended the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) this week I took away several additional key messages on how we might start to achieve more in the food and nutrition community:   1. We cannot ignore climate change. Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasised this. Politicians have been complacent about the link between food, nutrition, agriculture, water and climate change. We need to ensure that the UN Conference of the Parties (COP 21) negotiations and agreement in Paris reflect this reality.   2. Women are vital. As Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of the World Food Programme stated, 55 per cent of hunger gains are attributable to women. Let’s make sure they are not just included but central to our work.   3. Communities must be at the centre. They should be allowed to lead the way through designing, monitoring and implementing the actions that will support them most effectively. Data is often centrally controlled and monitored, while this is important local communities must be given freedom to own data and collect their own. Accountability for the SDGs will only be real if led by those the goals are trying to reach.   4. Conflict and war could exacerbate the current situation of food insecurity and malnutrition. Refugees are arriving in Europe for a reason – lack of food is one aspect of their struggle. How do we respond more effectively to crises and prevent food being used as a political tool? The new Committee On World Food Security framework for action in protracted crises could be one step.   5. Hunger and malnutrition are social justice issues which need more than technical responses. We must participate in and support social movements who work on the right to food and nutrition and celebrate the role of right to food and nutrition activists in this arena.   6. Malnutrition affects everyone and we must all work together if we are to tackle this. We need to make partnerships, alliances and work in cooperation.   http://scalingupnutrition.org/about/annual-global-gathering/global-gathering-2015/sungg15-webstream http://scalingupnutrition.org/news/the-tenth-global-hunger-index-report-is-launched Visit the related web page
	View more stories