Four famines

Locust infestations have just hit two new districts in northern Uganda as they continue to plague Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, and threaten Sudan and South Sudan. There are also reports of the swarms now in Tanzania. Oxfam is ramping up response.

“Oxfam is deeply alarmed by the @theIPCinfo classification of famine in five areas of #Sudan. This is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises that remains tragically overlooked. The international community and conflict parties must act now to end the suffering and prevent further loss of life.”

One in five people (282m) is now under-nourished and 93 million in 36 African countries are suffering extreme levels of hunger. Women and children are hit hardest. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in three children under five is stunted by chronic undernutrition while two out of five women of childbearing age is anemic because of poor diets.

In reaction to the outcomes of the Committee on World Food Security meeting which ended yesterday, Thierry Kesteloot, Oxfam’s food policy advisor said: "Oxfam is outraged that the world’s foremost platform on global food security and nutrition has failed to agree on any action close to sufficient in tackling to the world’s COVID-fuelled food crisis.

The threat of “COVID famines” and widespread extreme hunger are setting off every alarm bell within the international community, but so far sluggish funding of the UN's appeal is hampering humanitarian agencies’ efforts to deliver urgent assistance to people in need.

In reaction to the formation of a new South Sudanese unity government today, Elysia Buchanan, Oxfam South Sudan’s Campaign Manager said: “We welcome this decision as an important first step in South Sudan’s journey towards sustainable peace, but it cannot be the last. The country’s leaders must now work together to urgently end the suffering of 7.5 million South Sudanese facing a dire humanitarian crisis.

New United Nations numbers show hunger affecting 11 percent of the world’s population.

Over 380,000 children under five are at risk of dying from a lethal combination of severe hunger and deadly diseases becuase of acute malnutrition.

"The needs of the poorest were an afterthought. Despite the anger of many on the streets at the growing divide between the rich and poor, the G20 could only muster a tepid set of policies to tackle poverty and inequality," said Steve Price-Thomas, Oxfam’s director of advocacy and campaigns.

Plus, three other critical questions ahead of Friday’s G20 summit.