The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) along with the World Food Programme (WFP) recently unveiled a report highlighting the growing threat of acute food insecurity. The document, ‘Hunger Hotspots – August to November 2021’, builds on the alarming trends identified in the 2021 Global Food Crises Report, which warned that over 155 million people faced severe food insecurity in 2020.
Major Hunger Hotspots
The report pinpoints Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Sudan, northern Nigeria, and Yemen among the 23 countries that are expected to experience worsening acute food insecurity from August to November 2021. Ethiopia and Madagascar are particularly at risk, having been dubbed the world’s newest “highest alert” hunger hotspots. In Ethiopia, an ongoing conflict in the Tigray region has incited a severe food emergency, while southern Madagascar is grappling with its worst drought in 40 years, potentially leading 28,000 people towards famine-like conditions by year’s end.
Factors Contributing to Food Insecurity
Several factors have been identified as contributors to the rise in food insecurity. Violence, often linked with population displacement, abandonment of agricultural land, loss of life and assets, and disturbed trade and cropping, tends to exacerbate food insecurity. Increased tension is expected in regions such as Afghanistan, Central Sahel, and the Central African Republic, and could impair access to humanitarian assistance.
The economic downturns induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 greatly affected almost all low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, extreme weather conditions and climate variability are likely to negatively affect numerous regions worldwide. Haiti, for instance, may face reduced yield due to below-average rainfall during their main rice-growing season. At the beginning of July 2021, a significant Desert Locust infestation was seen in the Horn of Africa, causing alarm for potential crop damage.
Another significant challenge in ensuring food security is the limited humanitarian access due to administrative/bureaucratic impediments, movement restrictions, security hurdles, and physical constraints related to the environment. Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic are currently experiencing the most significant obstacles, which prevent aid from reaching those who need it most.
Suggested Solutions
The report also provides suggestions to combat the predicament. Short-term protective interventions are advised before new humanitarian needs arise, and immediate actions should be taken to address existing humanitarian requirements.
Integration of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding policies in conflict areas could help alleviate the issue. Other proposed measures include scaling up climate resilience across food systems, offering smallholder farmers access to climate risk insurance and forecast-based financing, and strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable to economic adversity through in-kind or cash support programmes.
India’s Efforts Towards Ensuring Food Security
In India, the government has rolled out several initiatives to bolster food security. The National Food Security Mission focuses on increasing the production of various crops. The PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme aims to provide an additional 5 kg grains for free, over and above the subsidized 5 kg of foodgrain already distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The One Nation One Ration Card initiative seeks to address poverty-induced hunger, while the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi supplements the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs). The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 legally entitles a substantial percentage of the population to subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
About FAO and WFP
The FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to international efforts against hunger. World Food Day is celebrated annually on 16th October to commemorate the establishment of the FAO in 1945. It is among the UN food aid organizations based in Rome, Italy.
The WFP is the leading humanitarian organization delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Established in 1961 by the FAO and United Nations General Assembly, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and is primarily involved in emergency assistance, rehabilitation, and development aid.