WFP says 41m on verge of famine, calls for $6b in aid

Portugal fears a fourth wave from the Delta variant; Moscow restricts visits to bars and restaurants to curb COVID-19 wave

LONDON

Some 41 million people worldwide are at imminent risk of famine, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday, saying soaring prices for basic foods were compounding existing pressures on food security.

Another half a million are already experiencing famine-like conditions, said the WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley.

“We now have four countries where faminelike conditions are present. Meanwhile, 41 million people are literally knocking on famine’s door,” he said.

The WFP, which is funded entirely by voluntary donations, said, it needs to raise $6 billion immediately to reach those at risk, in 43 countries.

“We need funding and we need it now,” said Beasley.

After declining for several decades, world hunger has been on the rise since 2016, driven by conflict and climate change.

In 2019, 27 million people were on the brink of famine, according to the WFP, but since 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic has been added to the mix.