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South Sudan

World faces unprecedented famine threat, G7 must take action

Group of Seven leaders meeting in Taormina, Sicily, this week should take the lead in fighting famine and immediately fund nearly half ($2.9 billion) of the UN’s urgent appeal to avoid catastrophic hunger and more deaths, urged Oxfam today. Without an immediate and sweeping response, this crisis will spiral out of control.

Further delay will cost more lives.

Deadly famine is already affecting 100,000 people in parts of South Sudan and threatens to extend to Yemen, Somalia and northeast Nigeria. Widespread famine across all four countries is not yet inevitable, but G7 leaders need to act now with a massive injection of aid, backed with a forceful diplomatic push to bring an end to the long-standing conflicts that are driving this hunger crisis.

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “Political failure has led to these crises – political leadership is needed to resolve them. G7 leaders cannot walk away from Taormina without providing emergency funding and clear solutions to tackle the root causes: the world’s most powerful leaders must now act to prevent a catastrophe happening on their watch.

“Our world of plenty today faces an unprecedented four famines. If G7 leaders were to travel to any of these four countries, they would see for themselves how life is becoming impossible for so many people: many are already dying in pain, from disease and extreme hunger.”

If each G7 government contributed its fair share to the UN’s appeal for $6.3 billion for all four countries, Oxfam estimates that this would raise almost half of the total required. These UN appeals are still only 30 percent funded across the four countries.

No G7 country has provided its fair share of funding for all four countries.

G7 commitments to food security and nutrition
In 2015, the G7 committed to lift 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition, yet 30 million people across the four countries are now experiencing severe hunger – 10 million of whom are facing emergency and famine conditions. The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity is estimated to have risen by about 40 percent over the last two years. G7 leaders should uphold the commitments they have made on hunger and malnutrition and give more importance to crisis prevention and supporting smallholder farmers’ resilience in order to reduce needs over time.

Conflict and famine
In addition to funding the UN appeal, G7 leaders should press for immediate ceasefires and inclusive peace processes, as well as for safe access to places where aid agencies are having trouble reaching people in need. Conflict has driven millions of people from their homes and communities, cutting them off from their fields, jobs, food, and markets.

In Yemen, countries including G7 members continue to supply weapons, munitions, military equipment, technology, or logistical and financial support for military action that is in contravention of the rules of war. In South Sudan, three years of conflict have displaced more than 3.5 million people – including 2 million children. Somalia also remains an active conflict where access is limited by Al Shabaab, as well as other parties involved in the conflict. Nigeria’s conflict has spread into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon forcing 2.6 million people to flee and leaving nearly 11 million people in need of emergency aid.

Famine and hunger are the glaring symptoms of larger challenges that include climate, migration and inequality which must all be tackled together if progress is to be made.

Climate
Climate change is not a distant future threat: it is helping fuel a humanitarian disaster in Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa.  There could be no stronger call to G7 leaders to take action on climate change than suffering on this scale. The G7 members must make it clear that they are committed to implementing the Paris Agreement. It is vital that the summit produces a clear and strong outcome on climate change action – no excuses.

Migration
When G7 leaders have chosen a symbolic place to meet in Sicily – Europe’s coast, where thousands of people have died trying to reach safety and security – it is reprehensible that they are set to overlook the suffering of refugees and migrants on their doorstep, and ignore the challenge of migration and forced displacement. Rich countries should lean into this challenge, exercise positive global leadership and compassion, and agree to concrete steps that protect the dignity and rights of people on the move.

Inequality
When one in 10 people go to bed hungry every night, famine represents one extreme end of the inequality spectrum and is in itself the result of the instability which inequality helps to drive. Oxfam is calling on G7 leaders to commit to the developing a fully fledged action plan to tackle growing inequality, in line with their commitment to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

Notes to editors

1. Download Oxfam’s latest policy report on what governments need to do to avert the threat of global famine: https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/bn-four-famines-190517-en.pdf

2. Oxfam will be attending at the G7 summit with spokespeople for interview on the ‘four famines’, inequality, climate and migration in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Chichewa/Nyanja and Tumbuka.

3. Oxfam will be presenting a number of stunts over the period of the summit on the themes of the 4 famines, climate and migration. The first will take place on the morning of Thursday 25 May and will be on the subject of the four famines, taking place near the International Media Centre in Giardini Naxos. Contact us for further details.

4. Oxfam can offer journalists the opportunity to visit some of our programs supporting migrants in Sicily. Contact us for further details.

5. The UN ‘four famines’ appeal was originally launched for a total of $5.6 billion  http://interactive.unocha.org/emergency/2017_famine/index.php  and was later revised up to $6.3 billion after the Somalia response plan was updated in earlier this month http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-humanitarian-response-plan-may-2017-revision

6. There has been a rise of 40 percent in the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity over the last two years according to FEWSNET: http://www.fews.net/global/alert/january-25-2017

7. Oxfam’s fair share analysis: Oxfam calculates its fair share analysis by comparing data from the UN’s Financial Tracking System (FTS) and information received from G7 members with their national income. No G7 country has provided its fair share of funding for all four nations facing famine. (The FTS website may not have been updated with recent pledges.)

According to UN figures, as of May 18, only 30 percent of the $6.3 billion needed has been received. Country by country, this means that Nigeria is only 21 percent funded; Somalia, 33 percent; South Sudan, 42 percent; and Yemen, 21 percent.

G7 leaders must commit to fund their fair share for each country, while pressing other donors to do their part, in order to prevent more people from dying of hunger. These contributions alone would mean $492 million for Nigeria, $703 million for Somalia, $764 million for South Sudan, and $964 million for Yemen.

G7 must also commit to increase aid for longer term solutions that build resilience and improve food security and nutrition, in order to prevent further crises from escalating into disasters.

Only one G7 leader (UK) has provided its fair share for Yemen, two (UK and Canada) for South Sudan, two (UK and Germany) for Somalia and two (Canada and Germany) for Nigeria.

The United States Congress commitment of $990m to address famine in the four countries is welcomed, but this must be urgently translated into aid on the ground if the impact of famines is to be reduced.

View or download Oxfam’s fair share analysis here: http://oxf.am/ZERG.

8. About 30 million people are are experiencing alarming levels of hunger in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen – 10 million of them are facing emergency and famine conditions. (10 million people are at IPC4 and 5, and a further 20 million people are at IPC3.)

• South Sudan: 4.9 million people dangerously hungry (IPC Phases 3-5, including 100,000 already in famine)
• Yemen: 17 million people dangerously hungry (IPC Phases 3-4)
• Somalia: 3.2 million people dangerously hungry in Somalia (IPC Phases 3-4)
• Nigeria: 4.7 million people dangerously hungry in northeast Nigeria (IPC Phases 3-5)

9. Climate change is helping to fuel a humanitarian disaster in East Africa where 13 million people are dangerously hungry and Somalia is on the brink of famine: https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/mb-climate-crisis-east-africa-drought-270417-en.pdf

10. Oxfam is responding directly and with local organizations across the affected countries delivering food and other essential aid including cash so that people can buy from local markets. It is striving to ensure people have clean water to be used for drinking, cooking, washing and sanitation and to fight waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. We are also helping vulnerable communities, focusing especially on women, to stay safe and access aid in these unstable circumstances.

Hunger in a world of plenty: millions on the brink of famine

Today, the world stands on the brink of an unprecedented four famines.

Twenty million people are at risk of starvation in South Sudan – where famine has already been declared – Somalia, Yemen and Northern Nigeria.

These are just four of the many countries that are facing high levels of food insecurity this year. In Malawi, Sudan, Afghanistan, DRC or Syria millions of people do not have enough food to feed their families. The situation in some of these countries could worsen if the international community do not address urgent needs and resolve the root causes.

What is famine?

Famine represents the most serious food insecurity situation in terms of both scale and severity.
It occurs when a substantial number of people are dying due to a lack of food or because of a combination of lack of food and disease. When more than 20% of households cannot eat, acute malnutrition exceeds 30% and death and starvation are evident we cannot talk about a humanitarian “emergency” situation anymore but a “famine”.

Famine threat on the map

What are the main causes of famine?

There is not a single root cause that just explains all famines – each context has its unique aspects. However, there is always a fatal combination of various factors that can include conflict, insecurity, access, chronic poverty, lack of trade and severe weather events such as persistent drought.
For example, ongoing war and conflict are the primary drivers of the situation in northern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, and for Somalia it is drought and weak governance after years of conflict. In some parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, communities are also suffering from a catastrophic drought which makes it incredibly hard for them to buy food locally or have any source of income.
What is sure is that we always have the power to prevent and end famine, but we always let it happen. A declaration of famine is effectively an admission that the international community has failed to organize and act in time and that national governments have been unable or unwilling to respond.

What is Oxfam doing?

Oxfam is working in South Sudan, Lake Chad Basin, across the Horn of Africa and in Yemen to provide life-saving support to those most in need of help. Our response so far has included:

  • Providing emergency food and nutrition support, as well as essentials as cooking equipment and buckets.
  • Giving people access to safe, clean water by trucking in water, setting up water storage points and rehabilitating boreholes.
  • Distributing cash and vouchers for seeds, tools and livestock care.
  • Improving sanitation through the construction of bathing facilities and repair of toilets to prevent the spread of disease.
  • Providing vouchers for canoes in South Sudan so people can travel across the swamps to access food.
  • Supporting women who have suffered from sexual violence and exploitation.
7.5 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, and half of the population is expected to be affected by extreme hunger by July. Help us reach the most vulnerable people.

Threat of four famines in 2017 “a catastrophic betrayal of our common humanity”

The world stands on the brink of an unprecedented four famines in 2017 due to a catastrophic failure of the global community to uphold its obligations to the most vulnerable of people. Oxfam today calls on donors to take immediate action to help as many as 20 million people now at risk of starvation.

Famine was declared this week in parts of South Sudan. In northern Nigeria it is likely that some 400,000 people living in areas cut off from aid are already suffering famine. Both Yemen and Somalia stand on the brink. The primary driver of these crises is conflict, though in Somalia it is drought.

Donor countries have failed to adequately support efforts to resolve these conflicts and, in Yemen, are actually fuelling the conflict through arms sales. They now have a moral obligation to meet the $2.1 billion needed for a humanitarian response at the required scale. They need to find political answers to the causes of the collapse of these countries into such catastrophic levels of suffering.

Oxfam International’s Humanitarian Director Nigel Timmins said: “Famine does not arrive suddenly or unexpectedly. It comes after months of procrastination and ignored warnings. It is a slow agonizing process, driven by callous national politics and international indifference. It is the ultimate betrayal of our common humanity.

“Half-hearted responses to UN appeals have short-changed the aid effort to save people’s lives. This must not continue. Governments need to act now to fully fund the aid effort.

“The famine already gripping parts of South Sudan will spread across the country if not more is done. Famine may be imminent in Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria but it is not yet inevitable If we act now with a massive injection of aid, backed with diplomatic clout and driven by the imperative to save lives, we can prevent a catastrophic loss of life. Without an urgent injection of cash, the humanitarian system will not be able to cope and many more people will die.”

Money is needed now because a hunger crisis can rapidly deteriorate.  As a crisis unfolds malnutrition and mortality rates rise exponentially, rather than steadily.  After a certain tipping point, further rapid deterioration becomes likely. Assistance must be given now before people become dangerously hungry and have exhausted the last of their efforts to feed their families.

Responding to severe malnutrition requires significant humanitarian infrastructure, such as feeding and health centers. They cannot be spirited out of nowhere. People at the sharp end of these crises cannot wait.

Oxfam is calling for immediate humanitarian and political action including:

More food and life-saving support
Opening the areas that people can move safely to reach aid – and for humanitarian agencies to reach them in turn – including suspending all military operations that block this kind of access and safe movement
Protection of civilians in all military action.
Committing to respond earlier to warning signs of future crises before they escalate
Building people’s ability to cope better with future crises. Even without conflict, these countries will remain vulnerable to future food crisis
In Somalia, 2.9 million people face acute food security ‘crisis’ and ‘emergency’ levels. This could tip into famine if the April-June rains fail, their ability to buy food declines and people do not receive humanitarian support.

In Nigeria, over 5 million people are in food crisis, and this is projected to reach 5.7 million by June 2017. There is a strong likelihood that at least 400,000 people could already be experiencing famine-like conditions and that this could rise to up to 800,000 over the course of 2017 if humanitarian assistance cannot be delivered.

In South Sudan, 100,000 people are facing starvation now and a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine in Unity State.

In Yemen, 7 million people are just one step away from famine, and 10 million people are severely hungry. This is largest hunger emergency in the world. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is reporting that wheat stocks for the country will run out in April.

Oxfam is already helping over a million people in Yemen, more than 600,000 in South Sudan, over 200,000 in Nigeria and an assessment mission has just returned from northern Somalia where it plans to begin a response to the drought.

Man-made famine in South Sudan reflects international failure

Emma Jane Drew, Humanitarian Programme Manager in South Sudan says:

“This is a man-made tragedy, and we are running out of time to avoid it getting worse.  In over 30 years working in the affected areas, Oxfam has never witnessed such dire need.  Vulnerable people, out of reach of life-saving assistance due to the conflict, are paying the ultimate price. People have been pushed to the brink of surviving on what they can find to eat in swamps.  As so often in a crisis, women and children being the worst affected.  We need an end to the fighting so that we can get food to those that urgently need it and  provide them with support to rebuild their shattered lives”.

“In 2011 after the famine that hit Somalia the world said never again. The declaration of famine in South Sudan reflects the collective failure to heed the countless warnings of an ever-worsening situation”.

 

Notes to Editor

Oxfam has been assisting populations in South Sudan since the 1980’s providing food security and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. In the past year alone, Oxfam’s helped over 600,000 people across the country with food and water distributions, and assisted almost 40,000 of the most vulnerable in Panyijar county, Unity State.

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Oxfam is a worldwide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against injustice. Oxfam Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register (registration CC24641). Donations are tax refundable.

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