Famine Response and Prevention in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and north-east Nigeria
What is happening?
More than 20 million people in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and north-east Nigeria are going hungry and facing devastating levels of food insecurity. 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death from severe acute malnutrition.
In South Sudan almost 5 million people desperately need food and famine has already been declared in two counties.
In north-east Nigeria, 5.1 million people face serious food shortages. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, and nearly half a million children are suffering severe acute malnutrition.
In Somalia, food prices are rising and almost one million children under the age of 5 will be acutely malnourished this year.
Yemen is facing the largest food insecurity emergency in the world, with an estimated 7.3 million people requiring emergency food assistance
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: “We can prevent the worst effects [of these crises], if we act urgently and strongly.”
What is the United Nations doing about it?
The United Nations and its partners will continue to scale up humanitarian response over the coming months.
In north-east Nigeria, humanitarian agencies are reaching more than two million people with food assistance. In South Sudan, the United Nations and partners aim to assist 5.8 million people this year; in Somalia, 5.5 million people; and in Yemen, 8.3 million.
But lack of funding is a big obstacle: at least $4.4 billion is needed by the end of March to avoid a catastrophe.
What can you do?
Spread the word about these crises to mobilize support and urge the international community to step up.
You can make a donation to ongoing aid operations targeting those most in need. Here are some examples:
- The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is one of the fastest and most effective ways to support rapid humanitarian response for people affected by crises. You can donate here.
- The UN’s World Food Programme is working to provide urgent food assistance through direct food distributions and food vouchers. WFP is also providing nutritional support to nursing and pregnant women, as well as children suffering from, or at risk of, moderate acute malnutrition. In northeastern Nigeria, WFP is already providing food or cash assistance to more than a million people each month. In South Sudan, the United Nations and its partners aim to assist 5.8 million people in 2017, in Yemen 8.3 million and in Somalia 5.5 million. You can donate here.
- UNICEF is working with partners to provide therapeutic treatment to 220,000 severely malnourished children in Nigeria, over 200,000 severely malnourished children in South Sudan, more than 200,000 severely malnourished children in Somalia, and 320,000 children in Yemen. You can donate here.
