47 million people at risk of starvation: United Nations

About 1 in 10 of the world's population has problems accessing food, the World Food Programme said, facing a long-term crisis, with about 783 million people in the world having problems accessing food, while about 47 million people in more than 50 countries are on the brink of hunger, according to data from the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP).

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain spoke about the global food crisis at a session organized by the UN Security Council (UNSC).

"War, economic turmoil, increasing climate change, and environmental degradation are driving millions of people into poverty and despair every year," McCain said.

'47 MILLION PEOPLE FACE STARVATION'

McCain drew attention to the fact that approximately 783 million people, which corresponds to about 1 in 10 of the world's population, have problems accessing food.

"WFP estimates that in more than 50 countries, some 47 million people live one step away from hunger," she said.

"It is estimated that 45 million children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition," she added.

McCain stated that the increase in hunger seen in many parts of the world is not a one-off situation and will not improve as conditions change.

DOWNSIZING IN FOOD AID

McCain reported that WFP had to decide to cut food aid for millions of people due to dwindling resources and that further cuts were imminent. Stating that the need for humanitarian aid continues but the budget has been reduced, he underlined that it is essential to design new models that emphasize inter-sectoral cooperation.

"Our common goal is to strengthen ambitious and multi-sectoral partnerships that will enable us to effectively fight hunger and poverty and reduce the need for humanitarian assistance in the long term," she emphasized.

Source: Anadolu Agency