UN on Malnutrition Crisis in Ibero-America and Elsewhere

The UN’s David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Program reports: “All the data we have, including WFP forecast that the number of people experiencing malnutrition will grow by 80% by the end of the year … points to a real disaster….” Asked about the effects of the pandemic, he said: “Obviously social tensions will grow, migration will increase, conflicts will escalate and hunger will likely affect those who didn’t experience it before,” TASS quoted him yesterday. He singled out Latin America, saying that malnourishment is increasing by as much as 269% there. Sub-Saharan Africa was next, with malnourishment almost doubling. Presently, in Yemen and South Sudan, 13 million and 6.8 million people are being fed from their program, but that is also in jeopardy. Finally, the situation in Lebanon has become grim, as the Aug. 4 explosion in the port of Beirut has destroyed grain stockpiles and also cut the supply chains. The damaged port used to deliver about 85% of Lebanon’s food.