The World Food Programme is launching Five Calls to Action to address today’s record-high humanitarian needs as leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, and UK prepare to meet – ending conflict is high on the agenda
21 June 2022, WFP Staff South Sudan: A WFP Scope registration in Ayod village, Jonglei state. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga The world is facing a global hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions – we are at a critical crossroads. Up to 50 million people in 45 countries are on the brink of famine. Either we rise to the challenge of meeting immediate needs at scale while at the same time supporting programmes that build long-term resilience, or millions will face catastrophe. We have a plan – the most ambitious in WFP’s history – that requires US$22.2 billion to both save lives and build resilience for 152 million people in 2022. G7 countries are critical partners on the road to ending conflicts – which are a key driver of hunger. Yemen: Displaced children at a distribution point in Mokha. Photo: WFP/Annabel Symington In Schloss Elmau next week (26-28 June), Germany will host leaders from fellow G7 countries – Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the US, and UK – and we have one message: act now or the unprecedented levels of hunger we are seeing will only continue to rise. Shortly before the conflict in Ukraine, WFP warned 2022 would present record levels of food insecurity, placing millions of people in mortal danger as the intersection of conflict, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising food and fuel costs caused devastation in countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. The situation has since significantly deteriorated. Ethiopia: People in Dabat receive wheat sourced from Ukraine at a WFP distribution point in March. Photo: WFP/Claire Nevill With 345 million people facing acute food insecurity, words are important – but what we really need is action. The G7 has the potential to pull people back from the brink of starvation and put an end to immense human suffering. There remains the problem of how. We are not politicians. We are humanitarians. We cannot tell politicians what to do and what decisions to take. But it is our job to alert the global community to what we are witnessing as we work to save and change lives in more than 120 countries with…
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