hunger

New figures released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) show that the number of hungry people has risen for the third year in a row, mainly as a result of conflict and the climate crisis. However, despite the spiralling hunger and two global food price crises in a little over ten years, hunger has fallen off the political agenda.

Conflict, rising food prices and plummeting incomes in Yemen are forcing people to resort to desperate measures to stave off hunger. One family married off their three-year-old child to buy food and shelter.

Another generation of girls in South Sudan will miss out on an education, face huge health risks in childbirth and are more likely to face sexual and domestic violence, if efforts to end child marriage are not stepped up.

"Almost five years of devastating conflict has brought South Sudan to its knees and left more people in more parts of the country suffering catastrophic levels of hunger," said Oxfam’s County Director in South Sudan Ranjan Poudyal.

"Almost five years of devastating conflict has brought South Sudan to its knees and left more people in more parts of the country suffering catastrophic levels of hunger," said Oxfam’s County Director in South Sudan Ranjan Poudyal.

“Oxfam is dismayed at this third consecutive year of rising hunger. We’re back to where we were a decade ago. As ever, hunger is caused by human actions that drive poverty and inequality, conflict and war, poor governance, wastage, and worsening climate change," said Oxfam International’s executive director Winnie Byanyima in response..

The UN and NGOs received warnings over the weekend for staff to evacuate Hodeida by Tuesday ahead of the offensive, affirming the humanitarian community’s worst fears for Yemen. With thousands of lives at stake, peace is urgently needed now.

In December 2017, South Sudan marked four years of devastating conflict. Only a few months later, it has reached another critical point: more South Sudanese are hungry than ever before. This report provides recommendations for the international community and warring parties on what they can do to stop the violence, increase access to humanitarian aid and allow the people of South Sudan to recover.

Millions of people facing severe hunger and acute malnutrition in one of the worst hit areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo risk having life-saving aid cut if donors do not plug a hole in the aid budget, Oxfam warned today.