Coronavirus pandemic will cause global famines of 'biblical proportions,' UN warns

London (CNN) -- The world is facing multiple famines of "biblical proportions" in just a matter of months, the UN has said, warning that the coronavirus pandemic will push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation.

Famines could take hold in "about three dozen countries" in a worst-case scenario, the executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a stark address on Tuesday. Ten of those countries already have more than 1 million people on the verge of starvation, he said.

He cited conflict, an economic recession, a decline in aid and a collapse in oil prices as factors likely to lead to vast food shortages, and urged swift action to avert disaster.

"While dealing with a Covid-19 pandemic, we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic," David Beasley told the UN's security council. "There is also a real danger that more people could potentially die from the economic impact of Covid-19 than from the virus itself."

The WFP had already warned that 2020 would be a devastating year for numerous countries ravaged by poverty or war, with 135 million people facing crisis levels of hunger or worse. Their updated projections nearly double that number.

When added to the 821 million people already chronically hungry, that scenario would push more than 1 billion people into dire situations.
The agency identified 55 countries most at risk of being plunged into famine in its annual report on food crises, released this week, warning that their fragile healthcare systems will be unable to cope with the impact of the virus. " These countries may face an excruciating trade-off between saving lives or livelihoods or, in a worst-case scenario, saving people from the coronavirus to have them die from hunger ", the report said.

Ten countries were singled out as particularly at-risk, after housing the worst food crises last year; Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Nigeria and Haiti.

Most of those countries have so far been spared the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with the epicenter moving from China to Europe to North America, but the state of their healthcare institutions means even relatively small outbreaks could be devastating. To date, more than 2.5 million cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed globally.

'We do not have time on our side'
Even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, food supplies in some of the most vulnerable regions in the world were being directly affected by impacts such as crop failures and locust swarms.

Exceptional drought followed by extremely heavy rainfall markedly decreased the seasonal crop yield in the Horn of Africa during 2019. These irregular weather and climate patterns also contributed to the worst desert locust invasion in 25 years, which further threatened the crop supply in the region.

Meanwhile, the combination of conflict, climate-related shocks and crop pests had resulted in the world's worst food crisis in Yemen, according to the agency.


The new, coronavirus-related factors affecting each region were myriad. "Lockdowns and economic recession are expected to lead to a major loss of income among the working poor," Beasley said. Overseas remittances will also drop sharply, affecting countries such as Haiti, Nepal, and Somalia, for example.

"The loss of tourism receipts will damage countries such as Ethiopia (and) the collapsing oil prices in lower-income countries like South Sudan will have an impact significantly," he added.

He appealed to UN member states to act now, telling them: "There are no famines yet. But I must warn you that if we don't prepare and act now -- to secure access, avoid funding shortfalls and disruptions to trade -- we could be facing multiple famines of biblical proportions within a short few months.

"The truth is, we do not have time on our side, so let's act wisely -- and let's act fast," he added. "I do believe that with our expertise and partnerships, we can bring together the teams and the programs necessary to make certain the Covid-19 pandemic does not become a humanitarian and food crisis catastrophe.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/22/africa/coronavirus-famine-un-warning-intl/index.html

Nigerians are already experiencing it for a time God knows when.

This is nothing new to Nigerians.

Righteousness89:
Finally, The UN of this Generation recongnized that things are Not Normal in these times...

Finally they Recongnize THE HOLY BIBLE

The UN of these times have failed the Woman..

Since they have Recongnized that we are sliding into Biblical Famines, Then they better do what those in the Bible did when they had Problems..

Instead of donating Billions of dollars that will do nothing, They better Seek GOD'S Face as the Body that represents the World..

True.

Omo fire dey mountain

Modified:

Righteousness89:
Instead of donating Billions of dollars that will do nothing, They better Seek GOD'S Face as the Body that represents the World..

Please leave God's name out of all these.

What has God have to do with human recklessness??
A Chinese Man Eats Bats and starts infecting others and you say it's God punishing us for evil
What God will kill Old innocent people and leave Evil men and Boko Haram alive??
Why didn't Your God Target specific evil people around the world to punish.
Instead of killing randomly old and young
Even killing the medical workers risking their life saving others
You see how dumb you religious folks are.


Blame It On T.B Joshua

May baba God help us o.

If their assertions are true, is not outta place to mention Nigeria on that list because agriculturally we are backward only peasant famers, low scale farmers will survive. A push factor (attacking the rich) will sprung up because with the current experience on lock down.
I found out that the rich are championing stay at home syndrome so that the virus shouldn't get to them Cos they know that they depend on the lower class for some basic services. On the other hand. The lower class are afraid of hunger virus than the cobit 419 because either way their lives is in danger and So the next line of action is to take over the streets which is a bad idea but only way out cos the elite fail to put things in place and the reality is checking on them.

Sad truth..
God help us

All the talk about diversifying the economy, how did that go, oil prices will rebound eventually but would it be too late for us by then?
I hope we have all learnt a lesson that propaganda is no substitute for good governance.
Other states should brace up for a spill over of one million boys from Lagos.

Lots of people are already predicting a break up for Nigeria, the future certainly ain't looking good.

Well, my people if you have little money stock up on grains. now.

In the face of hunger, covid19 is my friend. In Nigeria, i believe many community death which is not covid related where as a result of hunger (directly or indirectly).

Damn, this doesn't sound good at all.
I'm particularly worried about Yoruba land and the far North.
The hunger in these places is already frightening as it is and UN is still prophesying more hunger.
People will practically eat themselves up.
One million boys will now become one billion boys
God save Yoruba land.

Investment in Agriculture should get greater attention, virtually everyone now agrees that food is the 'Master' for guaranteed human survival.

After we over coronavirus pandemic, hunger pandemic will now still. I pray I and my family will see through this.

It's already happening. While the West is battling with Covid-19, Africa is fighting Covid hunger. Nigeria is really in some deep mess. Look at the countries on that list and compare them to Nigeria. How did things get so bad so quickly? How did Nigeria become one of the poorest countries in the world so much so that she's listed with countries that were going through severe hunger and poverty even before the outbreak of Corona virus ? Oh I forgot. We have been taking much more than we have been giving; consuming far more than producing; importing way more exporting.

Mhen.........Wahala dey ooo

Biblical proportions eh? One of which women were eating their own sons?

God forbid tho. It would never come to that

It is well. If you believe, click like

This UN eh.
Something diabolical about them

If nigeria is not included in such sad development, its no news

Nigeria will never face famine.

Is not possible please,

UN must be insane for comparing us with the likes of South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Na now Dem know say Hunger don dey beat people in Nigeria.. Hunger had been beating Nigerians Even before COVID-19 so make anybody no dey used projection put fear for our body

true, God help us all.

check my signature to make at list 120k monthly.

We Nigerians are in deep shiit even without being told....
We don't need U.N to come and foresee what's ahead of us for us..
come on,we don't need it,why should we??
abi isn't it too obvious already that we can't excape the famine that'd soon come. ??

Nigeria always in the news of bad light