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UN warns 345 million people face starvation worldwide
A ‘tsunami of hunger’ and ‘real and dangerous risk of multiple famines this year’, head of UN World Food Programme warns.
(Al Jazeera) The United Nations food chief has warned the world is facing “a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude” with up to 345 million people marching towards starvation – and 70 million pushed closer to starvation by the war in Ukraine.
David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, told the UN Security Council on Thursday the 345 million people facing acute food insecurity in the 82 countries where the agency operates is more than twice the number of acutely food insecure people before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
He said it is incredibly troubling that 50 million of those people in 45 countries are suffering from very acute malnutrition and are “knocking on famine’s door”.
“What was a wave of hunger is now a tsunami of hunger,” he said, pointing to rising conflict, the pandemic’s economic ripple effects, climate change, rising fuel prices and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24, Beasley said, soaring food, fuel and fertiliser costs have driven 70 million people closer to starvation.
Despite an agreement in July allowing Ukrainian grain to be shipped from three Black Sea ports blockaded by Russia and continuing efforts to get Russian fertiliser back to global markets,
“there is a real and dangerous risk of multiple famines this year”, he said.
“And in 2023, the current food price crisis could develop into a food availability crisis if we don’t act.”
The Security Council was focusing on conflict-induced food insecurity and the risk of famine in Ethiopia, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. But Beasley and UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths also warned about the food crisis in Somalia, which they both recently visited, and Griffiths also put Afghanistan high on the list.
“Famine will happen in Somalia. Be sure it won’t be the only place either,” Griffiths said.
He cited recent assessments that identified “hundreds of thousands of people facing catastrophic levels of hunger” – meaning they are at the worst famine level.
Beasley recalled his warning to the council in April 2020 “that we were then facing famine, starvation of biblical proportions”. He said then the world “stepped up with funding and tremendous response, and we averted catastrophe”.
“We are on the edge once again, even worse, and we must do all that we can – all hands on deck with every fibre of our bodies,” he said. “The hungry people of the world are counting on us and … we must not let them down.”
Griffiths said the widespread and increasing food insecurity is a result of the direct and indirect effect of conflict and violence that kills and injures civilians, forces families to flee the land they depend on for income and food, and leads to economic decline and rising prices for food they cannot afford.
After more than seven years of war In Yemen, he said, “some 19 million people – six out of 10 – are acutely food insecure, an estimated 160,000 people are facing catastrophe, and 538,000 children are severely malnourished”.
Beasley said the Ukraine war is stoking inflation in Yemen, which is 90 percent reliant on food imports. The World Food Programme hopes to provide aid to about 18 million people, but its costs have risen 30 percent this year to $2.6bn.
As a result, it has been forced to cut back so Yemenis this month are getting only two-thirds of their previous rations, he said.
Beasley said South Sudan faces “its highest rate of acute hunger since its independence in 2011” from Sudan. He said 7.7 million people, more than 60 percent of the population, are “facing critical or worse levels of food insecurity”.
Without a political solution to escalating violence and substantial spending on aid, “many people in South Sudan will die”, he warned.
In northern Ethiopia’s Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions, more than 13 million people need life-saving food, Griffiths said. He pointed to a survey in Tigray in June that found 89 percent of people food insecure, “more than half of them severely so”.
Beasley said a truce in March enabled WFP and its partners to reach almost five million people in the Tigray area, but resumed fighting in recent weeks “threatens to push many hungry, exhausted families over the edge”.
In northeast Nigeria, the UN projects that 4.1 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity, including 588,000 who faced emergency levels between June and August, Griffiths said. Almost half of those people could not be reached because of insecurity, and the UN fears “some people may already be at the level of catastrophe and already dying”.
Griffiths urged the Security Council to “leave no stone unturned” in trying to end these conflicts, and to step up financing for humanitarian operations, saying UN appeals in those four countries are all “well below half of the required funding”.
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Sun directly overhead Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon today (11)
On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 05th to 15th of April in this year.
The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (11th) are Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon.
A no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was defeated in Parliament yesterday by a majority of 104 votes.At the end of the debate, 49 members voted in favour of the motion, while 153 voted against it.
The motion, submitted to the Speaker on 19 March, was signed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB MPs, and other Opposition members.
It accused Minister Jayakody of failing to ensure the procurement of adequate and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, alleging that such negligence amounted to a breach of ministerial responsibility over a critical national energy asset.
The motion also cited ongoing legal proceedings against the Minister, noting that he has been indicted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and produced before the Colombo High Court under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, in connection with alleged acts of corruption during his tenure as Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertiliser Company Limited.
The motion read: Vote of No Confidence against Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy,— Whereas the Provision in Section 6 of the Part III of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament which states that: “The Members shall on all occasions act in accordance with the public trust entrusted with them and shall always behave with probity and integrity, including the use by them of any public resources.” has been violated; And whereas the following rules of conduct set out in Section 9 of the Part V of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament have prima facie been breached, namely:- “(a) to be conscience; (c) to act so as to merit the trust and respect of the people; (e) to hold themselves accountable for the conduct and duties for which they are responsible;” And whereas it is observed that the Minister has failed, in his capacity as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, to discharge the fundamental duties incumbent upon him in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution;
And whereas it is established that the Minister of Energy has failed to discharge his primary duty of ensuring the procurement of adequate and good quality coal for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant;
And whereas such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of ministerial responsibility;
And whereas the Minister of Energy has failed to carry out the subjects and functions vested in him by the Notification of Gazette Extraordinary No. 2412/08 of 25th November 2024 of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, including taking necessary steps to reduce the losses at the institutional management level and technical damages that occur to the electricity generation and distribution system and reduction of costs for generating electricity and removal of uncertainties during generation;
And whereas the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has filed formal indictments before the Colombo High Court against the incumbent Minister of Energy under Section 70 of the Bribery Act (Chapter 26) for the offence of “corruption” in connection with acts of corruption allegedly committed while he was serving as the Procurement Manager of the Lanka Fertilizer Company;
And whereas, in light of the foregoing, the Minister of Energy has irretrievably forfeited the confidence of Parliament and the people of Sri Lanka by causing losses to public finances, endangering national energy security, corruptly mishandling the procurement process, being subjected to active judicial proceedings for the offence of “corruption”, and betraying the Government’s own “anti-corruption mandate”, and his continued tenure as the Minister of Energy is contrary to the public interest, the rule of law, and the principles of good governance;
That this Parliament resolves that it has no confidence in the competence of Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy to function as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers any longer.”
by Saman Indrajith
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong yesterday assured that China would not allow a fuel crisis to arise in Sri Lanka, under any circumstances, reaffirming Beijing’s continued support to the country.
The Ambassador made these remarks addressing the media after attending a dry ration distribution programme for 350 low-income families at Sri Chandananda Buddhist College, at Asgiriya, in Kandy.
Highlighting the longstanding ties between the two countries, Ambassador Qi said China has consistently stood by Sri Lanka and remains ready to extend assistance whenever required.
Amid concerns over global energy disruptions, stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, he noted that several countries are already facing difficulties, but stressed that China is prepared to support Sri Lanka at any time.
He said that any potential fuel shortage in Sri Lanka could be managed with the involvement of China’s Sinopec.
Reiterating Beijing’s commitment to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and development, the Envoy also expressed hope that the current ceasefire in the Middle East would hold, while assuring that China stands ready to respond to any future developments and assist Sri Lanka as needed.
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Sooryavanshi blitz, Jurel 81* help Rajasthan Royals take down Royal Challengers Bengaluru with ease
Sun directly overhead Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon today (11)
Showers expected in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western , Southern and Uva provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 2.00 p.m.
Opposition NCM against Energy Minister defeated
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