By Corinne Scotland
LONDON (AlertNet) - Food insecurity in developing countries poses a serious threat to humanity. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that 2009 will see another 105 million people undernourished. This means that 1.02 billion people Â? almost one sixth of all humanity Â? are suffering from malnutrition around the globe. Here is a breakdown of the worst cases of food insecurity.
EASTERN AFRICA - In the Horn of Africa more than 20 million people are facing serious food insecurity due to below average rains, combined with conflict and displacement.
SOMALIA Â? The worst humanitarian crisis in 18 years faces Somalia according to the FAO. Approximately half the population are in need of emergency aid with more than 15 percent of the population (over 3.2 million people) undernourished and in need of food assistance. The cost of staple foods remains high, with sorghum (an important food crop) and imported rice costing 72 and 32 percent higher, respectively, than March 2008, according to a recent report by USAid.
KENYA Â? The government declared an emergency in January 2009 in response to the estimated 3.5 million people who required emergency food assistance. A reduction in short rains has severely deteriorated food security in the marginal agricultural regions in the south east as well as the rain-reliant pastoral, semi-arid areas and coastal lowlands.
ETHOPIA Â? Although cereal prices have declined since September 2008 the food security of millions continues to be adversely affected by above average food prices and successive seasons of below-average rainfall. Currently, an estimated 49.9 million out of the 82.8 million population of Ethiopia remain acutely food insecure. In addition the UN Children's Agency UNICEF estimates that 242,000 children under the age of five from 309 districts in Ethiopia will suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2009. For more information read the report from UNICEF.
SUDAN Â? Over 1.3 million people in southern Sudan are expected to be food insecure during 2009 according to a food emergencies update from the FAO. In SudanÂ?s Western Equatoria, escalating Lords Resistance Army (LRA) attacks continue to affect the food security of a large number of people. Overall an estimated 5.9 million people in Sudan are in need of food assistance.
SOUTHERN AFRICA Â? Millions continue to be affected by high levels of domestic prices, slow pace of imports and high seasonal food demand during peak hunger months.
ZIMBABWE Â? Despite improvements in agricultural production and reform in the grain market, the FAO/WFP assessment report predicts that 2.8 million will face food shortages in the 2009/10 marketing year (April/March). This will require some 228,000 tonnes of food assistance, including 190,000 of cereals.
LESOTHO Â? Lesotho is the only country in southern Africa to reap less from its harvest this year than last year. Declining maize harvests are resulting in a sharp rise in food prices at the same time as household income is falling. According to the FAO, 353,000 of the 1.8 million population of Lesotho suffer chronic and persistent hunger and poverty.
SWAZILAND Â? An estimated 239,000 of the 1 million population are malnourished with around 69 percent subsisting on/a 0.60US$ a day, according to the WFP. Life expectancy here is consequentially the lowest in the world at 32.5 years.
ASIA
AFGHANISTAN Â? In July 2009 the Afghan government and the UN jointly appealed for funds to provide aid for 5 million vulnerable Afghans at risk of starvation due to high food prices, drought and a sharp decrease in domestic agricultural production. Insurgent activity and military operations have severely affected food security in some regions, undermining reconstruction efforts and restricting humanitarian interventions.
BANGLADESH Â? Over the course of 2007 and 2008, 7.5 million people joined the ranks of the hungry in Bangladesh, according to the WFP. The number of people consuming less than the minimum daily recommended amount of food is now 65 million - 45% of the population.
NEPAL - The winter drought of 2009 has added approximately 700,000 to the 2.7 million people identified as needing immediate assistance in Nepal according to the WFP. The impact of high food prices and previous natural disasters has brought the total number of food insecure people to 3.4 million.
NORTH KOREA (DPRK) Â? Domestic cereal production consistently falls below the needs of the 23 million population. The WFP estimates that even with anticipated commercial imports and currently pledged food aid, the country will experience a cereal shortfall of 836,000 tons for the 2008/2009 marketing year, leaving 8.7 million people in need of food assistance.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARRIBBEAN
GUATEMALA Â? Official reports indicate that the country is facing the worst drought in 30 years. The effects of El Nino have extended the dry spell in Guatemala, causing a reduction and loss of agricultural production affecting some 2.5 million people in 21 provinces.
NICARAGUA - With a per capita National Gross Income (NGI) of 980 dollars, Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in Latin America and the Caribbean. In regions affected by the coffee crisis, chronic malnutrition affects over 40 percent of children under five, according to the WFP. The median income of the poor covers only 24 percent of the cost of a basic food basket.
HAITI - Haiti remains a food deficit country. It relies heavily on imported food Â? 48 percent of national consumed food is imported, 47 percent is produced locally while food assistance fills 5 percent of the national needs. The WFP estimates that more than 2.4 million people in Haiti remain food-insecure.
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