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About 45 mln people worldwide may face famine, UN says

According to the 2022 Global Humanitarian Overview, a total of 274 million people worldwide will need emergency aid and protection in 2022

UNITED NATIONS, December 2. /TASS/. About 45 mln people in 43 countries are likely to face famine, the 2022 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs made public on Thursday said.

"Extreme poverty is rising again. <…> Famine remains a terrifying prospect for 45 million people in 43 countries," the document said.

It is noted that $41 bln is necessary in order to provide help to those most in need. "A total of 274 million people worldwide will need emergency aid and protection in 2022, a 17 per cent increase compared to last year’s launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO)," according to the document. "$41 billion is required to provide relief and protection to the 183 million people most in need and covered by the plans," it specified.

According to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, the climate crisis affects the world’s most vulnerable people first and hits them the hardest. He noted that instability has worsened in various parts of the world, mentioning Afghanistan, Myanmar and Ethiopia. "The pandemic is not over, and poor countries are deprived of vaccines," he added.

The overview notes that more than 1% of the world’s population has been displaced.

The 2022 GHO includes 37 response plans covering 63 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Yemen, Iraq, Colombia, Libya, Mali, Myanmar and Ukraine.