Miami | Reuters — Haitians are experiencing catastrophic hunger because of gangsters blockading a major fuel terminal, U.N. officials said on Friday, with more than four million facing acute food insecurity. A coalition of gangs has prevented the distribution of diesel and gasoline for over a month to protest a plan to cut fuel subsidies. […] Read more
Haiti gang blockade causing catastrophic hunger, U.N. says
Situation "close to breaking point," WFP rep says
Hunger crisis deepening, says Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Raging drought, inflation and conflict drive food shortages
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Fifty million people around the world are near to or experiencing famine, up from 40 million in May, according to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “There’ll be many malnourished. At least 20 per cent will be extremely malnourished,” said the organization’s executive director, Andy Harrington. Two out of every 10,000 of those people […] Read more
Comment: The invasion of Ukraine is causing hunger in a host of countries
Reading Time: 4 minutes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced a terrible humanitarian crisis in eastern Europe. It also is worsening conditions for other countries, many of them thousands of miles away. Together, Russia and Ukraine account for almost 30 per cent of wheat exports, nearly 20 per cent of corn exports and close to 80 per cent of […] Read more
U.N. urges Ethiopia to allow unhindered aid as hunger kills
'Ethiopian children are starving'
Reuters — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Ethiopia’s government on Wednesday to allow the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to millions in the country’s north “without hindrance” as U.N. officials report deaths from hunger. During a U.N. Security Council meeting, Guterres urged Ethiopia’s government to allow “unrestricted movement of desperately needed fuel, cash, communications […] Read more
U.N. counts cost of ‘man-made’ famines
US$400 for a plate of rice and beans?
New York | Reuters — Nearly 30 years ago a malnourished two-year-old girl died in front of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a refugee camp in northern Uganda. Two days ago U.N. food chief David Beasley met a starving five-month-old girl at a hospital in Yemen — she died on Thursday. […] Read more
Ban on food aid restrictions blocked at WTO
WTO says outcome 'disappointing' in difficult year
Geneva | Reuters — World Trade Organization members were at odds on Friday over a proposal that would ban countries from restricting food aid deliveries, potentially complicating the response to a feared COVID-fuelled humanitarian catastrophe next year. The proposal was one of two related to the pandemic that failed to make headway at a three-day […] Read more
U.N. draws on emergency fund in bid to avert famines
United Nations | Reuters — United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock said on Tuesday he would use US$100 million from the world body’s emergency fund to help seven countries try to avert famine fueled by conflict, spiraling economies, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Some $30 million will be spent in Yemen, $15 million each […] Read more
World Food Program seeking billions within six months to avert famine
Pandemic may double hunger worldwide, agency says
London | Reuters — The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) will need to raise US$6.8 billion over the next six months to avert famine amid the COVID-19 crisis, the agency said on Tuesday. The WFP, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week for its efforts to prevent the use of hunger as […] Read more
North Korea faces food crisis after poor harvest, UN says
Geneva | Reuters — Four in 10 North Koreans are chronically short of food and further cuts to already minimal rations are expected after the worst harvest in a decade, the United Nations said on Friday. Official rations are down to 300 grams (10.6 ounces) per person per day, the lowest ever for this time […] Read more
Stories that touch the heart — and generate a big response
Reading Time: 3 minutes The world has got a little smaller for some Alberta farmers. And that’s a good thing. Alberta farm communities continue to be huge supporters of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank — raising more than $2.6 million last year. One of the foundations of that support has been “food study tours,” where farmers (who pay their travel […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
