Which problem is worse?
- Hanna Andrysiak
- May 18, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 2, 2021
Coronavirus is everywhere. We hear about it on the news, from our friends or family. Politicians warn us about consequences. But the worst one is famine.
Statistics are depressing
Famine is impacting many people every year. Living in high-developed countries, most of us often can't imagine how it is to have nothing to eat. Every year famine is impacting about 10,8% of the population, which is 821,6 million people! 135 million of them live with 'acute hunger'. And as World Food Program (WFP) reported
With many countries around the world enforcing quarantine, that number is likely to rise to 265 million.
And here is some map illustrating the problem:
Problematic year
This is truly more than just a pandemic - it is creating a hunger pandemic.
David Beasley, WFP Chief said and added
Before the coronavirus even became an issue, I was saying that 2020 would be facing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two for a number of reasons
like war in Yemen, Syria, crisis in Sahel, South Sudan and natural disasters caused by climat changes. That pessimistic sentence and massive queues of people waiting for packages (also with food) in South Africa, show how many people struggle with famine. Here is link to the video:
Choice: infection or famine?
It is completely understandable that people living in high-developed countries care more about their health than food supplies in current times. But in many parts of the world this is everyday problem and people prefer to get infected than get hungry. Boarders are being closed, people lose their jobs, trade is in bad condition. People don't have money and supplies. And it will countinue, getting worse. Help is crucial to cope with famine.
Where problem is the biggest?
BBC published countries who are most at risk from famine in 2020. They are from Africa, Asia and Latin America. What is interesting, is that 4 of 5 countries, which are at the biggest risk, have been affected by conflicts or even war. The biggest problem is in Yemen, where famine is getting higher every day. As Arif Husain from WFP said
In 2016 in Yemen, we were maybe assisting 3 or 4 million people. Today that number is 12 million.
Organisations warn
David Beasley determined upcoming problem as a 'famine pandemic', which can impact even 30 countries. He explained that global truce and access to conflict zones are crucial to cope with the problem.
We are not talking about people going to bed hungry. We are talking about extreme conditions, emergency status - people literally marching to the brink of starvation. If we don't get food to people, people will die.
Welthungerhilfe, German organisation fighting with famine, had similar statement. During this year's presentation of 'Compass 2020' raport, it was emphasised that for poorest people, more dangerous is hunger than COVID-19. And every year, more money are needed. Arif Husain from WFP explained that
The most important thing is an affordable treatment which must be available for everyone across the world. But until we get to that point, we need to make sure we do everything in our power to save lives and protect livehoods.
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