ROME, Nov 12 — Millions more people risk famine in at least a dozen crisis spots around the world, including Sudan and Gaza, two United Nations (UN) agencies warned on Wednesday, appealing for funds to address a shortfall amid global cuts to international aid.
In a joint report, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation also listed Haiti, Mali, South Sudan, and Yemen as countries facing "an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger", meaning famine.
The hunger situation in six more countries: Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria, was considered to be of "very high concern".
Against this backdrop, the WFP and FAO said that funding shortfalls for humanitarian aid "are crippling emergency responses, forcing deep ration cuts, and reducing access to food for the most vulnerable groups with refugee food assistance at a breaking point".
Calling for more help from governments and other donors, the agencies said that as of the end of October, only US$10.5 billion (RM43.43 billion) had been received out of the estimated US$29 billion (RM119.9 billion) needed to assist people most at risk.
"Famine prevention is not just a moral duty — it is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability. Peace is a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food is a basic human right," said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
The United States, top donor to both UN agencies last year, has slashed its foreign aid under President Donald Trump, and other major nations have also made or announced cuts in development and humanitarian assistance.
