'Biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II' about to engulf
20 million people, UN says, as governments only donate 10 per cent of
funds needed for essential aid.
The world is facing a humanitarian crisis bigger than any in living
memory, the UN has said, as four countries teeter on the brink of
famine.
Twenty million people are at risk of starvation and facing water shortages in Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen, while parts of South Sudan are already officially suffering from famine.
While the UN said in February that at least $4.4 billion (£3.5 bn)
was needed by the end of March to avert a hunger catastrophe across the
four nations, the end of the month is fast approaching, and only 10 per
cent of the necessary funds have been received from donor governments so
far.
“The United Nations and humanitarian partners
continue to scale up operations [in the four countries]... Life-saving
assistance in the critical areas of food and livelihoods, nutrition,
health, and water, sanitation and hygiene is being prioritised within
the 2017 humanitarian response plans,” UN humanitarian agency
spokesperson Jens Laerke said on Tuesday.
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Source: The Independent
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