WFP Chief and UK Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs make joint call for countries to "step up" their support to tackle famine
LONDON – To urge action on addressing the urgent risk of famine, the UK’s first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs Nick Dyer met the United Nations World Food Programme’s Executive Director David Beasley to jointly call for other countries to step up.
Nick Dyer and David Beasley said: “More than 250 million people now face extreme hunger this year alone and coronavirus has made this dire situation even worse.
“There are up to 30 million adults and children facing the most acute food insecurity and who could be tipped into famine if additional support is not provided.
“The United Kingdom and World Food Programme are taking early action and working together to fight famine and protect the world’s poorest people from the devastating consequences of conflict and climate change.
“The UK is leading by example, bringing the international community together and pledging £119 million in additional support, which is enabling WFP and others to alleviate extreme hunger for over 6 million people.
“We join in the UN’s call to action to step up support for countries hit by conflict, particularly Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, North-east Nigeria and South Sudan where the lives of millions of women, men and children are being threatened by violence and the coronavirus pandemic. We now need other countries to step up and tackle the threat of famine head on.”
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