NEW YORK,  (WAM) — Twenty million people risk dying of hunger in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and the north-east of Nigeria, including 1.4 million children suffering from severe malnutrition, the United Nations food relief agency said today, spotlighting its worldwide campaign to fight famine.

“Famine is declared when there is evidence of extreme conditions regarding food access, child malnutrition and an increase in the death rate,” stated the UN World Food Programme, WFP, while launching in Spain a global Fighting Famine campaign in Spain to warn about this unprecedented food crisis.

Commending “the intense response mounted by the humanitarian community,” WFP said the famine declared in two counties of South Sudan in February had been overcome and, to date, Somalia, Yemen and northeast Nigeria have averted it.

“Nonetheless,” the agency cautioned, “the situation is still critical.”

WFP pointed out that apart from Yemen, the other three countries are entering the lean season, the time of year when the previous season’s harvest has run out and food stocks are at their lowest. Also, the rains are making access by land difficult, and even impossible. While air transportation may sometimes be possible, it costs up to seven times more.

The severe food crisis in Yemen is caused by the consequences of armed conflict devastating the country, according to the UN agency.

Source: WAM