But hunger followed them. More than 57% of the population of the youngest country in the world in the south already faces high levels of acute food insecurity.
Sudan and South Sudan are among the five hot hunger points of “more concern”, trapped in a cycle of conflict aggravation, climatic shock and economic decline.
The continued fighting in Sudan, planned floods having an impact on its southern neighbor and a deterioration of economic conditions in the two countries should intensify hunger in the coming months.
A new report published on Monday by the World Food Program (WFP) and the organization of food and agriculture (FAO) also identified Palestine, Mali and Haiti like the other top-prior priority hotspots, with seven other countries likely to see the worsening of food security over the next five months.
The report, which analyzes existing data to project the nature of food insecurity, stressed that without immediate humanitarian assistance, people living in these hot points will face serious food conditions and high risks of famine and death.
“This report makes it very clear: hunger today is not a distant threat – it is a daily emergency for millions. We must act now and act together to save lives and save the means of subsistence, “said FAO Director General, Fifty Dongyu.
Hunger conflicts centered
The report has identified that the main engine of hunger is a conflict that is often aggravated by climate and economic shocks.
“There is a famine in progress in Sudan and also a risk of famine in the case of Gaza. And all are motivated by conflicts and a lack of access to humanitarian workers,” said Jean-Martin Baucer, director of FAO food security analysis.
In Gaza, the whole of 2.1 million inhabitants should undergo levels of food insecurity in crisis in the coming months due to prolonged military operations, with nearly 500,000 people who are expected to face catastrophic food insecurity levels.
Sawsan was an artist in Gaza before the start of the conflict. Since then, she and her four children have been moved, losing everything they had. They don’t have enough to eat: Sawsan described to WFP that she now reduced to crushing the macaroni to make bread for her children.
The report has also noted that climatic shocks and conflicts often cause prolonged economic declines, reducing purchasing power and the autonomous capacity of households and communities.
Window closure quickly
In recent months, humanitarian product operations have been faced with significant food shortages and have been geographically hampered by safety crises that have the delivery of a simply dangerous aid.
PAM and FAO call on the international community to intensify funding for humanitarian aid linked to food and nutrition in the coming months and to defend the end of the fighting.
“Urgent investments and supported in food assistance and recovery support are crucial because the window to avoid more devastating hunger closes quickly,” said WFP executive director Cindy McCain.
‘Red alert’
In May, the food aid sector estimated that it would need $ 12.2 billion, but only nine percent of this was funded.
The report also stressed the importance of moving towards longer -term humanitarian strategies that endow communities with autonomous capacity and are less expensive.
“This report is a red alert. We know where hunger increases and we know who is in danger. We have the tools and experience to respond, but without funding and access, we cannot save lives, “said McCain.
