Through a video message shared at the event, Sri Lankan President H.E. Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated FAO, IFAD and WFP for commemorating World Food Day and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening food and nutrition security for all. “Sri Lanka is at a crucial and critical juncture with high levels of food insecurity.
The growing insecurity and a deteriorating economy in Myanmar are likely to further worsen food insecurity among the vulnerable households reeling from a deadly third wave of COVID-19 between June and August.
Zenebech Kahsay is relieved to watch her children play once again, their energy renewed at last by bread she’s baked after receiving a 15kg bag of wheat from the World Food Programme (WFP) at a food distribution in Tahtay Adyabo, in Ethiopia’s northern province of Tigray.
“My children were dizzy with hunger,” explains Kahsay as she grinds dark brown grains of wheat with a pestle and mortar.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Odette, WFP Philippines deployed teams (from 3-8 January 2022) to initiate parallel rapid needs assessment in six provinces – Bohol, Cebu, Palawan, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Negros Occidental – across four regions (Western, Central and Eastern Visayas plus MIMAROPA).
On 24 February, 2022, Alyona woke up in her home in southern Ukraine to news of military aircraft screeching overhead.
“We had a simple, calm life and suddenly war started,” recalls the 32-year-old mother of three.
Regional Food Security and Nutrition Context 2021
In 2021, Western Africa faced unprecedented challenges, including protracted conflicts, health emergencies, climatic shocks, and economic problems.
The Climate Services and Diversification of Climate-Sensitive Livelihoods project aims to support 102,000 individuals from 2022 to 2025. It involves delivering climate services, enhancing adaptive capacities in rural communities, and building the capabilities of government bodies, local authorities, and partners.
“In a year when the world is already facing an unprecedented level of hunger, it’s just tragic to see hunger raising its head in what has long been the breadbasket of Europe,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley during a visit to a staging hub set up by the organization on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
World food prices were pushed ever higher in 2022. Gains made in pursuit of ‘zero hunger’ by 2030 have in many instances been reversed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where hunger and poverty continue to rise. One key reason for this is conflict.
While severe food insecurity in the region remained largely unchanged, when compared to February 2022, there has been a significant increase in households that have fallen into moderate levels of food insecurity. Overall, the number of food insecure people has increased by 1.3 million over the past six months.