A new early warning report by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts a worsening food insecurity situation in Pakistan and 21 other crisis-hit countries over the next six months.
Titled ‘Hunger Hotspots – WFP-FAO early warnings on acute food insecurity’, the report emphasizes the urgent need for attention to save lives and livelihoods from June to November 2023.
The report identifies 18 hotspots, with Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen at the highest alert level. Haiti, the Sahel (Burkina Faso and Mali), and Sudan are elevated to the highest concern levels.
?FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stresses the need to break away from business-as-usual approaches and calls for immediate agricultural interventions to address hunger, rebuild lives, and tackle the root causes of food insecurity. Dongyu emphasizes the importance of investing in disaster risk reduction in the agriculture sector to enhance resilience.
The report highlights the risk of the Sudan crisis spilling over and negatively impacting neighboring countries. WFP’s Executive Director Cindy McCain warns that not only are more people worldwide experiencing hunger, but the severity of their hunger is also worsening.
?Urgent action is needed to prevent famine and save lives. Global economic shocks and stressors contribute to acute hunger in most hotspots, while high global food prices are pushing low to middle-income countries further into crisis.
The report designates Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Myanmar (included for the first time) as hotspots of very high concern. These areas have a significant number of people facing critical acute food insecurity, compounded by worsening drivers that are expected to exacerbate life-threatening conditions in the coming months.
Lebanon, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have been added to the list of hotspots since the previous edition, while El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua have been included again.
The report provides country-specific recommendations for immediate emergency response and anticipatory action to prevent famine and protect livelihoods.
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