Right now, the world stands on the brink of unprecedented famines. Latest reports from the UN suggest acute hunger is alarmingly at a five-year high. 41 million people globally are at imminent risk of famine, experiencing alarming hunger, severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Over 584,000 people are already experiencing famine-like conditions in places like Ethiopia, South Sudan and Yemen. Conflicts, climate change, and Covid-19, along with compounded economic shocks are driving the increase of hunger globally.

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What is a famine?

A famine is the most severe food insecurity situation, which can be caused by several factors such as conflict, economic downturn, crop failure, population imbalance, or government policies.

Specific criteria need to be met for a hunger crisis to be considered serious enough to be defined as a famine. Famine is declared when:

  • 20% of households lack adequate food and other basic needs
  • Acute malnutrition exceeds 30%
  • Death and starvation are evident – by the time a famine is declared, people are already dying from hunger

Famine is threatening the lives and very existence of communities all over the world

Afghanistan has been ravaged by conflict for decades, political insecurity and a third wave of Covid-19 has left millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Now drought has left 14 million people facing a food crisis.

South Sudan is facing humanitarian crisis coupled with severe food shortages. The country has been struggling to recover from 5 years of conflict that has killed almost 400,000 people. Many communities have been displaced from their homes and are unable to cultivate land. With little access to water and food, the situation is getting worse and worse for most of the population.

Photo: Ethiopian refugees fleeing from ongoing conflict

8 months of fighting in  Ethiopia has put more than 5 million people at risk of famine, over 2 million people have been displaced from their homes, and thousands have died. The levels of hunger faced by people in Northern Ethiopia is catastrophic.

Years of conflict, economic decline and the Covid-19 pandemic has devastated Yemen. 16.2 million people in the country have experienced acute food insecurity this year. Almost 2.3 million children under the age of 5 are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition. 400,000 children could die if they do not receive urgent humanitarian assistance and treatment.

Every single day people are dealing with severe hunger, millions now face widespread famine if nothing is done to help them.

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Photo: Food distribution by Islamic Relief Ethiopia to support families displaced by conflict

Afghanistan: Our teams on the ground have distributed 13,061 food packs to the most vulnerable families in Kabul, Nangarhar, Balkh, Bamiyan, and Kapisa provinces. Qurbani meat distributions to over 10,000 families have also been carried out.

Our Covid-19 response in Afghanistan has reached over 308,514 people, and we continue to raise awareness and support women facing gender-based violence.

 

Ethiopia: Islamic Relief Ethiopia have been supporting refugees fleeing conflict. Our teams have distributed food to 670 families, and delivered essential items such as bedding, hygiene kits and mosquito nets to over 300 families.

 

South Sudan: As one of the very few INGOs present in Warrap State, Islamic Relief teams have been delivering a range of water, health, nutrition, food and livelihood support programmes to support vulnerable communities. Having worked in South Sudan  for 16 years, Islamic Relief is able to access hard to reach areas, and work collaboratively with other local to ensure a collaborative response.

 

Yemen: Islamic Relief Yemen is distributing food across a wide area and providing food to 2 million people every month, and have helped over 800,000 people access clean drinking water.

Our teams have also supported health workers 167 health facilities across the country to enable doctors and nurses working to treat wounded, sick and malnourished people. We have also been working to support children through child protection and psycho-social support activities.

Your donations are urgently needed to save lives. Please Donate Now.

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