The United Nations says 2021 is a “make or break you” in terms of world hunger.
“We’re doing just about all we can do to stop the dam from bursting. But, without the resources we need, a wave of hunger and famine still threatens to sweep across the globe,” said World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley in a news release. “I urge you: do not walk away from our commitment to humanitarian assistance. Do not turn your backs on the world’s hungry.”
According to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, 135 million people currently face food insecurity worldwide. That number is expected to double to 270 million due to COVID-19. Additionally, the World Bank estimates extreme poverty will rise for the first time since the 90s.
The crisis is especially bad in Africa and the Middle East. Globally, the hardest hit are the urban poor and vulnerable populations like children, women, the elderly, the sick, and those with disabilities.
“Humanity is facing the greatest crisis any of us have seen in our lifetimes,” Beasley said.