WFP Director David Beasley makes plea for funds. 
Photo: WFP
As Inflation Impacts The World, Aid Organizations Are Struggling To Meet The Needs Of The Hungry
November 21, 2021—Aid agencies like the UN World Food Programme are making a desperate plea for funds this year to feed the hungry amid rising fuel and food prices and drought-related shortages.
Almost 283 million people face acute food shortages or are at high risk in 80 countries in 2021, according to the UN World Food Programme. The agency warned that 45 million people across 43 countries are at risk of famine. The number of people at risk increased from 42 million earlier this year and 27 million in 2019.
“Tens of millions of people are staring into an abyss. We’ve got conflict, climate change and COVID-19 driving up the numbers of the acutely hungry, and the latest data show there are now more than 45 million people marching towards the brink of starvation,” said David Beasley, executive director of World Food Programme, said in a release.
Beasley said rising prices of food, fuel, and fertilizers add to crises, including those unfolding in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. Also, in Madagascar, 1.3 million face severe hunger.
“As the cost of humanitarian assistance rises exponentially, we need more funds to reach families across the globe who have already exhausted their capacity to cope with extreme hunger,” Beasley said.
Resources ‘Not Keeping Pace’ With Demand
WFP said the aid organization is not receiving enough funds to keep pace with demand. The organization is requesting up to $7 billion in additional aid.
WFP Chief Economist Arif Husain described the impact of the spiraling costs.
“Food procurement prices are up 21 percent from a year ago — US$300 million more if we bought the same amount of food as last year,” Husain said. “Transport costs are through the roof because of high fuel prices — a container that cost US$1,000 a year ago now costs US$4,000 or even more.”
Husain said costs are not likely to decline due to “conflicts, climate crises and economic fallout of COVID-19,” according to a WFP story.
Surging World Food Prices
The FAO Food Price Index—a measure of the monthly change in international prices of food commodities—reached its highest level since July 2011. From September to October, the index rose by 3.9 percent after surging for three consecutive months. The prices of vegetable oils and cereals rose by the highest amounts.
Higher food prices especially hit poorer households, which spend at least 63 percent of their income on food.
Afghanistan: World’s Largest Humanitarian Crisis
Afghanistan is one of the countries with the highest numbers of people at risk of starvation.
Issuing an urgent rallying call, the WFP’s Beasley said, “45 million people are literally going to die if we don’t reach them. It’s not complicated.”
After the Taliban took over and much of the West pulled out, the situation grew worse. In Afghanistan, about 22.8 million people face acute food insecurity. Of those, 8.7 million are in dire circumstances of food insecurity.
The country is turning into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, surpassing even the worst-hit countries of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“That’s where we’re heading—it’s 97-98 percent no matter how you work these projections,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Director.
Sales Of Children In Exchange For Dowry
In Afghanistan, some families are offering up their daughters for sale. UNICEF and NBC News reported that families are putting them up for future marriage in return for a dowry.
“I am deeply concerned by reports that child marriage in Afghanistan is on the rise,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, in an announcement. “We have received credible reports of families offering daughters as young as 20 days old up for future marriage in return for a dowry.”
Fore said families are making “desperate choices” due to the dire economic circumstances.
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