El Niño Weather Pattern Disrupts Crops In Africa For Second Year, Leaving At Least 50M Food Insecure, U.N., Aid Groups Say

The Guardian: 50 million Africans face hunger after crops fail again
“Up to 50 million people in Africa will need food by Christmas as a crisis across the continent triggered by El Niño worsens, the U.N. and major international charities have warned. A second year of deep drought in much of southern and eastern Africa has ravaged crops, disrupted water supplies, and driven up food prices, leaving 31 million people needing food now, and 20 million more likely to run out this year. A further 10 million people in Ethiopia, six million in southern Sudan, and five million in Yemen were in danger of starvation after floods and drought, said the U.N…” (Vidal, 5/22).

The Guardian: Across Africa, the worst food crisis since 1985 looms for 50 million
“…Countries are just waking up to the most serious global food crisis of the last 25 years. Caused by the strongest El Niño weather event since 1982, droughts and heatwaves have ravaged much of India, Latin America, and parts of south-east Asia. … The scale of the crisis unfolding in 10 or more southern African countries has shocked the United Nations. Lulled into thinking that Ethiopia in 1985 was the last of the large-scale famines affecting many millions, donor countries have been slow to pledge funds or support. More than $650m and 7.9m tonnes of food are needed immediately, says the U.N…” (Vidal, 5/22).

The Guardian: How southern Africa is coping with worst global food crisis for 25 years
“From Angola to Zimbabwe, food prices are soaring and malnutrition is on the rise as the latest El Niño weather event takes a brutal toll…” (Vidal, 5/22).

SciDev.Net: El Niño and fighting leave 80 million in food crisis
“Armed conflict and the droughts caused by the El Niño effect have left 80 million people around the world in acute food crisis this year, reveals a food security report. The report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Programme adds that a total of 240 million people are in food stress…” (5/23).

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