Says climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war has pushed the number of people facing starvation from 80 million to 345 million in just five years. Seeks help from gulf countries and the world’s richest people to tackle the crisis
RH Monitoring Desk September 23
Saying that the world is “knocking on famine’s door”, the United Nations Food Chief David Beasley has sought help from the gulf countries and the world’s richest people to tide over the problem.
In an interview with the Associated Press, World Food Programme Executive Director Beasley warned that in absence of help “there is gonna be chaos all over the world”.
“The world is facing a perfect storm on top of a perfect storm,” Beasley told Associated Press and urged donors, especially the gulf countries and the billionaires across the world to give “few days of profits” to tackle the crisis with the fertilizer supply.
“Otherwise, there is gonna be chaos all over the world,” he said adding that the help is necessary to prevent widespread food shortage next year.
Beasley has said that the world population facing starvation has increased from 80 million to 345 million since he took over the Food chief five and a half years ago.
“The climate problem has increased the number to 135 million. The COVID-19 pandemic doubled it to 276 million people not knowing where their next meal is coming,” he told Associated Press. “Finally Russia invaded Ukraine sparking a war and a food, fertilizer, and energy crisis that has pushed the number to 345 million”.
Beasley said that out of the 345 million people facing starvation, 50 million people spread across 45 countries are “knocking on the famine’s door”. “If we don’t reach these people, you will have famine, starvation, destabilization of nations unlike anything we saw in 2007-2008 and 2011. You will have mass migration”.
