In isolated pockets around the world, worst-case scenarios of humanitarian crisis — including war, pandemic lockdowns, and migrations — are leading to intolerable food price inflation, even famine conditions. While the entire African continent could be considered “stressed,” the worst cases are in war-torn, flooded South Sudan and Ethiopia in the east, Burkina Faso and northern Nigeria in the west, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia in the south. To this list must be added yet two more, not in Africa: Yemen and, across the ocean, Haiti.
On Sept. 5, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned openly of the “threat of famine,” singling out D.R. Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria, and South Sudan. “Action is needed now,” he told AP, an article covered in detail by China’s CGTN. “The situation varies from country to country, but civilians are being killed, injured and displaced; livelihoods are destroyed; and availability of and access to food disrupted, amid growing fragility,” Guterres said. “At the same time, humanitarian operations are attacked, delayed or obstructed from delivering life-saving assistance.” Already in June, the World Food Program was trumpeting that 2020 would be their largest year ever, in terms of the numbers requiring assistance.
