UN food chief warns millions closer to starvation due to conflict, climate change, coronavirus

The head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warned Thursday that millions are closer to starvation due to a mix of factors including conflict, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. 

The program’s director, David Beasley, told the U.N. Security Council that their response to his warning of a “hunger pandemic” at the start of the coronavirus crisis has averted famine death, though more needs to be done.

“Along with our partners, WFP is going all-out to reach as many as 138 million people this year — the biggest scale-up in our history,” Beasley said in a statement. “Already, in the first six months of 2020, we’ve reached 85 million people.”

Beasley added that the world is not “out of the woods” when it comes to avoiding famine. 

“This fight is far, far, far from over — the 270 million people marching toward the brink of starvation need our help today more than ever,” Beasley said. 

Currently about 30 million rely solely on the WFP for food to survive and will die without it, Beasley said, adding the WFP needs $4.9 billion to continue supporting those people. 

“It’s time for those who have the most to step up, to help those who have the least in this extraordinary time in world history,” Beasley said. “To show you truly love your neighbour. The world needs you right now and it’s time to do the right thing.”

Beasley pointed out that there are more than 2,000 billionaires with a net worth of $8 trillion and in the U.S. there are 12 individuals alone worth $1 trillion. He also noted that “three of them made billions upon billions” during the pandemic. 

“I am not opposed to people making money, but humanity is facing the greatest crisis any of us have seen in our lifetimes,” Beasley said. “It’s time for those who have the most to step up, to help those who have the least in this extraordinary time in world history.”