AS many as 733 million people worldwide face famine by 2023. The Gaza Strip, Palestine is experiencing one of the most severe food crises ever recorded.
FAO was founded under the auspices of the United Nations after World War II on 16 October 1945 to address challenges related to food, nutrition and agriculture. Since 1979, this date has been celebrated as World Food Day.
On Wednesday (16/10), FAO held a discussion on global food and agriculture issues with this year’s theme focusing on the human right to food. In a written interview with Anadolu, FAO Deputy Director General, Beth Bechdol, highlighted the seriousness of the global hunger problem, especially in conflict areas such as Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Ukraine.
“By 2023, around 733 million people face hunger. This is equivalent to one in 11 people globally and one in five people in Africa. This is unacceptable,” he said.
“Nearly half of the world’s population today does not get the nutrition they need to thrive, and in some cases, survive. The right to food is a fundamental human right. It is a collective responsibility. We must do better.”
Bechdol identified conflict, the climate crisis and economic shocks as the main causes of hunger that further exacerbate vulnerable populations.
Gaza food crisis
Regarding Gaza, Bechdol emphasized the destruction caused by more than a year of Israeli attacks. “We are all aware of how serious the situation in Gaza is with 96% of the population in IPC Phases 3 and above, in the crisis, emergency and acute famine phases, according to the last IPC report released in June. We are talking about more than 2 million people who face hunger every day,” he explained.
IPC refers to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which is a system used to measure the level of food insecurity in an area. The system divides food insecurity into several phases or levels based on their severity.
He added that recent assessments with the UN Satellite Center revealed significant damage to agricultural land in Gaza.
“According to our assessment, by September 1 2024, more than two-thirds of agricultural land in Gaza has been damaged. The magnitude of this damage raises serious concerns about the potential for food production now and in the future, because food aid alone cannot meet daily needs (both in terms of quantity and quality of nutrition) for the people of Gaza.”
Bechdol emphasized that peace is very important to ensure food security, because without peace, stability in food production cannot be achieved.
Another regional crisis
Bechdol also discussed critical situations in other conflict areas. “In Ukraine, the agricultural sector remains intact but fragile. The agricultural sector has suffered damage totaling more than US$80 million (around Rp. 1.2 trillion) with US$1.4 million (Rp. 21.8 billion) related to irrigation and water resources. Damage to storage infrastructure has reduced capacity by 14 million tonnes. FAO is concerned about profitability and yields for the 2024 crop in Ukraine,” he said.
He also added, “In Sudan, the latest conflict is turning a humanitarian crisis into a major disaster, confirming famine conditions in parts of Darfur. FAO urges an immediate cessation of hostilities, a rapid increase in food, nutritional and cash assistance, as well as emergency agricultural assistance.”
He further said that Sudan is very dependent on the agricultural sector with almost 65% of the population working in this sector. Cereal production is down 46% compared to last year with a decline of up to 80% in Kordofan/Greater Darfur, and a complete failure in West Darfur.
“Despite a very challenging context, as of 29 August, FAO had reached more than 1.97 million people with highly nutritious cereal seeds. This enabled them to produce enough food for a family of five for 12 months,” he added.
In Haiti, more than 5.4 million people face acute food insecurity, which is exacerbated by factors such as El Nino and an expectedly severe hurricane season. As many as 75% of the population experiencing food insecurity are in rural areas, making agricultural support very important for survival.
Bechdol closed his interview answers by emphasizing the importance of urgent international efforts to address hunger and support affected regions. (Ant/Z-2)
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