There could be severe famines worldwide because of COVID-19 Coronavirus – WFP
The head of the UN Food Programme warned that the coronavirus outbreak threatens to exaggerate the existing crisis by creating a “hunger pandemic.”
David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), stated on a virtual session of the UN Security Council that “There has been no famine yet.” The virtual meeting was held on 21/04/2020.
But I must warn “that if we don’t prepare and act now- to secure access, avoid funding shortfalls and disruptions to trade -we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short of few months”.
Beasley believed that even before the seriousness of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic became apparent, the world could be facing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, due to several ongoing crises, including wars in Syria and Yemen and desert locust swarms in parts of Africa among others.
He also said that Famines could take hold in “about three dozen countries” in a worst-case scenario. “We have already faced an ample storm.”
According to the fourth annual Global Report on Food Crisis 2020, which published on 20/04/2020, coronavirus pandemic will push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation. He said that “due to the effects of the epidemic this figure could be double.”
He said that “There is also a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of Covid-19 than from the virus itself.”
In the poor countries already poor working people have severely affected due to all of these shutdowns imposed by governments around the world.
Many developing countries that benefited from huge remittances from emigrants workers in the industrialized countries of the world will perceive deterioration in remittances.
Countries that depend on tourism will continue to lose their huge revenue and falling prices of oil will hurt those countries; those are the only ones dependent on oil exports like South Sudan.
“Poor countries will get limited aid and fund activities from the rich countries and the supply chain system will be threatened due to the economic wreckage caused by the shutdown. and urged swift action to avert disaster.” Beasley said.
David Beasley declared a “global ceasefire.” in response to the crisis and the World Food Programme (WFP) has entitled to all parties who are involved in the global conflict to “rapid and uninterrupted humanitarian access to all at-risk communities”.
He appealed that already 1.9 billion grants have been pursued by the World Food Program, That could be sped up the food stocks activities for three months, As well as additional 350 million will be needed to manage the distribution activities.
WFP’s Senior Economist, Arif Husain, said in a statement. “It is a hammer blow for millions more who can only eat if they earn a wage.
Lockdowns and global economic recession have already decimated their nest eggs. It only takes one more shock-like COVID-19 to push them over the edge.
We must collectively act now to mitigate the impact of this global catastrophe.” (Source: Newsweek)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the global economy was likely to experience the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, predicting global growth would contract by 3% this year because of the virus. (Source: CNBC, Apr 22, 2020)
“The truth is, we do not have time on our site, so let’s act wisely — and let’s act fast,” he added. “I do believe that with our expertise and partnerships, we can bring together the teams and the programs necessary to make certain the Covid-19 pandemic does not become a humanitarian and food crisis catastrophe.”
Source: USA Today and The Washington Post.
