United Nations humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock to help people suffering from COVID 19 induced famine has allocated 100 million US dollar to help people feed themselves in countries most at risk from the growing hunger epidemic caused by conflict, economic decline, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen will each receive a share of 80 million dollars from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
An extra 20 million dollar has been set aside for anticipatory action to fight hunger in Ethiopia, where droughts could exacerbate an already fragile situation, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on its website. The extra funding comes with a warning that without immediate action, famine could be a reality in the coming months in parts of Burkina Faso, North-east Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. The last time when famine was declared is in 2017 in parts of South Sudan.
The cash distribution is through cash and voucher programming, one of the most efficient, flexible and cost-effective ways to help people in dire need. It will be targeted at the most vulnerable - especially women and girls, and people with disabilities, according to OCHA. Inflation rises in Ethiopia due to failure of October-December Deyr-Hageya rainy season, together with civil unrest, growing insecurity, locust infestations, and the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, declining the income.
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