The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is seeking $1.1 billion assistance in 2021 to save the lives and livelihoods of some of the world’s most food-insecure people. The FAO indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and climate-related crises drive acute levels of hunger higher.

In 2021, FAO is aiming to reach more than 48.9 million people who rely on agriculture for their survival and livelihoods. The FAO will achieve this through interventions aimed at boosting local food production and nutrition. It will do this alongside strengthening the capacity and resilience of communities to prepare for and cope with crises. It will also provide post-disaster livelihood support to help people resume production.

According to FAO’s latest data, most countries have recorded new food insecurity figures. The total number of people who experienced acute food insecurity in 2020 is expected to exceed 2019’s high of 135 million people. This year’s Global Report on Food Crises, to be launched by the Global Network against Food Crises in April, will underscore the severity of the situation.

“The shocks of the past year will reverberate long into 2021 and beyond. We need to urgently scale up actions to avert a worst-case scenario”
Dominique Burgeon, Director of FAO’s Emergencies and Resilience Division.

The Vulnerable Groups

The FAO’s main concern is the estimated 30 million people in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 or Emergency levels of acute hunger. These are people who are already experiencing excess mortality and the irreversible loss of vital livelihood assets.

Also, FAO indicated that hundreds of thousands of girls, boys, women, and men are at extreme risk of acute food insecurity in several countries. Many are living in conflict zones where humanitarian access is restricted or challenging.

“Millions are living on the precipice – one stress or shock away from rapid deterioration. With or without famine declarations, we need to act now”
Burgeon.

Many depend on agriculture for their lives and livelihoods

Meanwhile, Agriculture is critical as nearly four out of five people live in rural areas and rely on some form of agricultural production for their livelihoods. The most severe manifestation of acute hunger remains a largely rural phenomenon. According to FAO, averting famine must begin in rural areas and include large-scale and collective action to save livelihoods and lives.

FAO has already provided critical livelihood support to safeguard the livelihoods of over 24 million people against the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. Desert Locust control operations have also had an impact in the Greater Horn of Africa and Yemen. FAO has protected over 3.1 million tonnes of cereal, worth $939 million, enough to feed more than 20.8 million people for a year. Also, this will help protect more than 1.5 million pastoral households residing in these areas.

FAO targets assistance to acutely food insecure

FAO’s emergency response in 2021 will focus on assisting highly food-insecure communities in more than 30 countries. This includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Yemen is suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as a consequence of conflict and economic collapse. Farmers have also had to deal with Desert Locusts and natural disasters. FAO aims to reach 6.3 million people with high-impact interventions combining cash and agricultural livelihoods support. It also aims at promoting community resilience.

In Syria, 12 million people will benefit from restoring agricultural livelihoods and value chains. Meanwhile in Ethiopia, the Organization aims to assist 6.7 million people facing acute hunger. It will also support another 6 million people in South Sudan to improve their food security, resilience, and agricultural production. assistance assistance