Five years of conflict In Yemen has displaced 4 million people and left many facing death as widespread hunger stalks the nation. Conflict drives hunger, and when that turns to famine, that then drives conflict, the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday, adding that “if you don’t feed people, you feed conflict”.
And when hunger meets inequality, climate shocks, sectarian and ethnic tensions, together with grievances over resources, they then “spark and drive conflict”. At the same time, conflict forces people to leave their homes, land and jobs; disrupts agriculture and trade; reduces access to vital resources like water and electricity; and also drives hunger.
At the end of 2020, more than 88 million people were suffering from acute hunger due to conflict and instability – a 20 per cent surge in one year – and 2021 projections point to a continuation of this “frightening trend”, according to the top UN official. He warned the Council of multiple conflict-driven famines globally, with climate shocks and COVID-19 “adding fuel to the flames”. He drew attention to hunger crises across the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, South Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan while pointing out that reduced humanitarian access threatens food insecurity, including in Tigray, Ethiopia.
‘Shocking’ food insecurity
- Yemen – 2.3 million children under five are projected to face acute malnutrition this year.
- South Sudan – 60 per cent of the population are increasingly hungry.
- DRC – nearly 21.8 million people faced acute hunger through last year.
- Afghanistan – nearly 17 million people, up for 13.9 million, are food insecure.
- Nigeria – 13 million currently, 8 million more than before.
- Syria – the figure is now over 12 million people, up from 9.3 million.
“Conflict and instability are powering a destructive new wave of famine that threatens to sweep across the world”, taking an “unimaginable” toll in human misery, he said.
Source: The Un
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