United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien declared that the world is facing its greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945.
With more than 20 million people facing starvation and famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen, O’Brien is pleading for help in order to “avoid catastrophe.”
Without a global humanitarian effort, it is likely that people will simply starve to death, and that many more will suffer and die from disease.
In his statement to the UN Security Council on Friday, O’Brien called for a collective global effort to provide aid to the people involved. Below is an excerpt of that statement:
“We stand at a critical point in history. Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations. Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine. Without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death. Many more will suffer and die from disease. Children stunted and out of school. Livelihoods, futures and hope will be lost. Communities’ resilience rapidly wilting away. Development gains reversed. Many will be displaced and will continue to move in search for survival, creating ever more instability across entire regions.”
Each country listed above suffers from very different circumstances.
In Yemen, according to BBC, a majority of 14.1 million people are facing famine while the country is simultaneously embroiled in a vicious civil war.
Nigeria has been fighting against the terrorist militant organization Boko Haram, which has killed 15,000, and displaced more than 2 million Nigerians from their homes. The extent of Nigeria’s famine wasn’t known until recently, as studies of its internal problems are difficult to undertake due to the military conflict with Boko Haram.
In South Sudan, the UN believes that 40% of the population – 4.9 million people – require food and nutritional assistance, with 100,000 of directly facing starvation.
Weather patterns attributed to El Niño in Somalia have killed off livestock and crops, leaving 6.2 million people in urgent need of assistance. Six years ago – the most recent Somalian famine – the death toll was almost 260,000 people.
Photo Credit: UNICEF
Nicholas Amato
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There are more than enough resources to alleviate this. The problem is distribution. The UN has a reputation of being thieves pilfering anything they can and the government thugs and warlords in Africa will get in the way of any effort being effective. Anyone old enough to remember LiveAid knows what I am talking about. Hundreds of tons of food and resources rotted on the docks as officials quibbled and people died. Before I give a dime or make any effort to help I want to know what systems are in place to make sure the relief gets to the people that are suffering.
Maybe they could put birth control in the food. Population control is the only long term solution to hunger and poverty.
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