World Vision joins NGOs in open letter to world leaders on hunger crisis

Friday, December 3, 2021

With more than 45 million people one step away from starvation, World Vision is joining NGOs calling on world leaders to take urgent action.

Dear world leaders,

It is over six months since the UN warned that famine risk is soaring globally. We – a group of 120 NGOs from around the world – are at a loss that since then the crisis has only worsened. There has been a 370% rise in people experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger since April and now a staggering 45 million people are at extreme risk – on the brink of famine. These numbers do not tell the whole story. Behind them are people suffering immensely from a crisis that we can prevent. What will it take for this situation to change?

The promises of the G7’s Famine Prevention Compact issued in May have not yet been met. It is clear that, since then, the situation has only deteriorated. Grand gestures do not fill empty stomachs. As the UN Secretary General has recently alerted, less than half the funding needed to stave off famine in six countries of highest concern (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Southern Madagascar, north-east Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen) has been received to date. Meanwhile, some Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) are less than 20% funded.

The number of people at risk, and associated costs, are escalating, rising from $6.6 billion needed to support 41 million people at risk of famine a few months ago, to $7 billion needed to feed the 45 million people at risk across 43 countries, now. As basic food needs go unmet, humanitarian crises are escalating. One in 33 people worldwide are now in need of humanitarian assistance and one in ten people has malnutrition. The gap between needs and humanitarian funding is stark in some of the most vulnerable regions.

Conflict, the climate crisis, economic shocks and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are set to push more people into crisis level hunger and malnutrition in 2022. Conflict in particular is escalating globally, forcing families to flee their homes and lose their livelihoods. The hunger and malnutrition this is causing disproportionately affects women and girls putting them at increased risk of extreme hunger and gender-based violence.

In conflict settings, supporting peacebuilding and conflict prevention is also crucial. Further, it is time that political commitments made to uphold international law, safeguard people’s human rights and secure access to aid are acted upon. All parties to a conflict must facilitate humanitarian access, protect civilians and desist from using starvation as a method of warfare. Obstacles, such as sanctions and access denial, to humanitarian action are severely compounding a crisis that cannot be healed with money alone.

We have watched the number of people in need rise in 2021. We call on World Leaders to take the urgent action desperately needed now to reverse this trend in 2022.

From:

International NGOs

 

Action Against Hunger

CARE International

Christian Aid

COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale

Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

International Medical Corps

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Mercy Corps

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam International

Plan International

Save the Children

Secours Islamique France

World Vision International

INTERSOS

National and local NGOs

 

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) - Afghanistan

Qatar Red Crescent Society  Afghanistan Office - Afghanistan

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) - Afghanistan

La Chaîne de l’Espoir - Afghanistan

Organization for Community Coordination and Development - Afghanistan

Organization for people’s Health in action (OPHA) - Afghanistan

Shuhada Organization - Afghanistan

Aid Vision

Caritas Développement Kalemie-Kirungu - Democratic Republic of Congo

Action Commune pour le Développement ONG ACD - Democratic Republic of Congo

Action pour l’Encadrement des filles mères désœuvrées - Democratic Republic of Congo

ADRA - Democratic Republic of Congo

Amour et Avenir du Congo - Democratic Republic of Congo

APPRONA (Appui aux Projets pour la Protection de la Nature) - Democratic Republic of Congo

Armee de Salut - Democratic Republic of Congo

Association des agriculteurs sans frontières - Democratic Republic of Congo

Association des Jeunes Cultivateurs et Eleveurs pour le développement au Kivu - Democratic Republic of Congo

AVSD - Democratic Republic of Congo

BUREAU OECUMENIQUE D’APPUI AU DEVELOPPEMENT “BOAD” - Democratic Republic of Congo

Bureau Œcuménique d’Appui au Développement “BOAD” - Democratic Republic of Congo

Caritas Développement Tshumbe - Democratic Republic of Congo

Caritas International Belgique - Democratic Republic of Congo

Carrefour des Agriculteurs, Pécheurs et Eleveurs “CAPE3 - Democratic Republic of Congo

Centre d’encadrement des personnes imprimeess - Democratic Republic of Congo

Centre Oecuménique pour la Promotion du Monde Rural - Democratic Republic of Congo

Comité pour le Développement et Assistance Humanitaire (CODEVAH) - Democratic Republic of Congo

Consortium des Organisations Humanitaires Pour la Paix du Sud Kivu - Democratic Republic of Congo

Cooperative Tunngana - Democratic Republic of Congo

Coordination Nationale des Conviviums de Slow Food en RD Congo - Democratic Republic of Congo

CS Savoir Vivre - Democratic Republic of Congo

Direction Hygiène et Salubrité Publique - Democratic Republic of Congo

Environnement Sans Frontières asbl - Democratic Republic of Congo

Espoir Plus - Democratic Republic of Congo

Food Security Cluster - Democratic Republic of Congo

Foyer de Lutte Contre la Malnutrition - Democratic Republic of Congo

Joseph NDAMBU - Democratic Republic of Congo

Lutte Nationalle Contre La Pauvrete (LUNACOP) - Democratic Republic of Congo

Paix et Développement de la Femme et de l’enfant - Democratic Republic of Congo

Prodecom  (projet de développement la communion fraternelle) - Democratic Republic of Congo

Regroupement des Acteurs pour le Développement de Base - Democratic Republic of Congo

Réseau d’Investissement pour le Développement Intégral (RIDI) - Democratic Republic of Congo

Solidarite Pour L’encadrement et Lutte Contre La Pauvrete - Democratic Republic of Congo

UADI ASBL - Democratic Republic of Congo

Union pour la Promotion/Protection, la Défense des Droits Humains et de l’Environnement-UPDDHE - Democratic Republic of Congo

Youth Engaged for Development and Social Progress - Democratic Republic of Congo

Youth for Development and Peace - Democratic Republic of Congo

Caritas Développement Uvira - Democratic Republic of Congo

ADSSE - Democratic Republic of Congo

UN OCHA Middle East and North Africa - Egypt

Finn Church Aid - Finland

Finnish Development NGOs – Fingo - Finland

Solidarités International - France

ADRA Germany - Germany

Jordan Health Aid Society International - Jordan

Jordan paramedic society - Jordan

ADRA SOMALIA - Kenya

Refugee Consortium of Kenya - Kenya

slessor - Kenya

Cesvi - Kenya/Somalia

Middle East Council of churches - Lebanon

Conseil des Agriculteurs, des Pécheurs et des Eleveurs “CAPE" - Mbuji-Mayi/Kasaï Oriental

FHI 360 - Nigeria

iMMAP - Nigeria

Jesuit Refugee Service - Nigeria

Norwegian Refugee Council - Nigeria

SOS Children’s Villages - Nigeria

Women for Women International - Nigeria

Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network - Occupied Palestinian Territory

New World Hope Organization (NWHO) - Pakistan

Society for Human Rights & Prisoners aid - Pakistan

Groupes des Jeunes pour le Developpement Communitaire - République Démocratique du Congo

Action In Semi Arid Lands ( ASAL) - Somalia

Actionaid International Somaliland - Somalia

Development Action Network - Somalia

FCA Somalia Country Office - Somalia

Gargaar Relief and Development Organization (GREDO) - Somalia

Horn International Relief & Development Organization (HIRDO) - Somalia

Juba Foundation - Somalia

QRCS - Somalia

Shabelle Community Development Organization - Somalia

SOLO - Somalia

Somali NGO Consortium - Somalia

Sustainable Development & Peace-building Initiatives (SYPD) - Somalia

Trocaire - Somalia

Welthungerhilfe (WHH) - Somalia

World Concern Development Organisation - Somalia

Zamzam Foundation - Somalia