UN says world faces worst humanitarian crisis since 1945 with tens of millions starving

The world is facing the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, with more than 20 million people in four countries facing starvation and famine, the United Nations humanitarian chief says. Stephen O'Brien told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that "without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death" and "many more will suffer and die from disease." He urged an immediate injection of funds for Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeast Nigeria plus safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid "to avert a catastrophe", describing the current situation as a "critical point" in history. The world body's humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien called Friday for an urgent mobilisation of funds - US$4.4 billion by July - for northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen to "avert a catastrophe." Stephen O’Brien told the U.N. Security Council that “without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death” and “many more will suffer and die from disease.”

He urged an immediate injection of funds for Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeast Nigeria plus safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid “to avert a catastrophe.”

“To be precise,” O’Brien said, “we need $4.4 billion by July.”

Without a major infusion of money, he said, children will be stunted by severe malnutrition and won’t be able to go to school, gains in economic development will be reversed and “livelihoods, futures and hope will be lost.”

U.N. and food organizations define famine as when more than 30 percent of children under age 5 suffer from acute malnutrition and mortality rates are two or more deaths per 10,000 people every day, among other criteria. “Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine.”

Mr O’Brien said the largest humanitarian crisis is in Yemen where two-thirds of the population – 18.8 million people – need aid and more than seven million people are hungry and don’t know where their next meal will come from. “Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine.”

O’Brien said the largest humanitarian crisis is in Yemen where two-thirds of the population — 18.8 million people — need aid and more than seven million people are hungry and don’t know where their next meal will come from. "More than seven million don't know where their next meal will come from,"

"That is three million more chronically hungry people than in January," he added. The U.N. humanitarian chief also visited South Sudan, the world’s newest nation which has been ravaged by a three-year civil war, and said “the situation is worse than it has ever been.”

“The famine in South Sudan is man-made,” he said. South Sudan

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ravaged by war, now famine has hit South Sudan

UN agencies say 100,000 people are facing starvation in South Sudan, while a further million are classified as being on the brink of famine. “Parties to the conflict are parties to the famine – as are those not intervening to make the violence stop.”

Mr O’Brien said more than 7.5 million people need aid, up by 1.4 million from last year, and about 3.4 million South Sudanese are displaced by fighting including almost 200,000 who have fled the country since January. Nigeria

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Starvation could kill more people than Boko Haram

The UN has described the unfolding disaster in north-eastern Nigeria as the "greatest crisis on the continent" - the full extent of which has only been revealed as extremist militant group Boko Haram is pushed back.
Stephen O'Brien, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reports that the world is experiencing its most severe humanitarian crisis since World War II, with over 20 million people suffering from severe lack of food security in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and Northeast Nigeria.