Two United Nations-affiliated organizations warned on Wednesday that millions more people in at least 12 crisis regions worldwide, including Sudan and Gaza, are facing the risk of famine. They called for funds to address the shortfall as global aid shrinks. In a joint report, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) listed Haiti, Mali, South Sudan, and Yemen among countries facing 'imminent catastrophic famine,' meaning famine. The report stated that the hunger situation in six other countries—Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, and Syria—is considered 'extremely alarming.' Against this backdrop, WFP and FAO stated that a lack of funding for humanitarian aid 'weakens the ability to respond to emergencies, forces drastic cuts in food rations, and reduces the ability of the most vulnerable to access food, with food aid for refugees reaching a breaking point.' WFP and FAO called for more assistance from governments and other donors, noting that by the end of October, only $10.5 billion of the required $29 billion had been received to help the most at-risk groups. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: 'Preventing famine is not just an ethical duty, it is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability... Peace is a prerequisite for achieving food security, and the right to food is one of the fundamental human rights.'
