News

UN warns 345 million people face starvation worldwide

Published

4 years ago

2022/09/18

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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News

President chairs discussion on 2027 Budget Proposals for the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development

Published

3 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

A pre-Budget discussion to review the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and to discuss proposals for the 2027 Budget was held under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (13) afternoon.

The progress of projects implemented by each division of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and the institutions under its purview using the 2026 Budget allocations, as well as proposals for the 2027 Budget, were reviewed separately during the discussion.

The President also focused on the current status of the programme to establish industrial zones in areas including Dambulla, Ingiriya, Valachchenai, Millaniya and Katunayake. Discussions centred on issues that have arisen in allocating land and developing infrastructure, including electricity, water and roads, as well as the urgent measures required to resolve these issues.

President Dissanayake instructed officials to make every effort to complete all projects already initiated under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development within the stipulated timeframes. He also highlighted the need to clearly identify the Government’s role and limitations in relation to the industrial sector.

Attention was also drawn to the current situation regarding the development of state-owned enterprises, while issues affecting the sugar and salt industries and alternative proposals to address them were also discussed.

The current status of the process to consolidate institutions under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development was also reviewed. The President pointed out that large institutions had been established at different times to meet various needs, ultimately creating a situation in which such institutions had to be maintained using taxpayers’ money.

He stressed that the consolidation of these institutions should not only improve their efficiency but should also result in a relative reduction in operational expenditure compared with the costs incurred prior to consolidation.

Officials also briefed the President on the proposal to establish the Entrepreneurship and Industry Transformation Authority (EITA) and the programme proposed under the Authority.

Attention was also focused on the challenges faced by exporters and industrialists in carrying out their activities. The President instructed officials to submit proposals on general concessions that could be provided to encourage exporters and industrialists.

The President further pointed out that Sri Lanka could develop distinctive expertise by identifying several key areas within the industrial sector and providing the facilities necessary for their development.

Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha Fernando; Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe; Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Chief of Presidential Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi; Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu; Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Dr Harshana Suriyapperuma; and Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara, along with officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, participated in the discussion.

[PMD]

News

Prime Minister meets the Amir of the State of Qatar and conveys condolences on the passing of the Father Emir

Published

3 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, visited the State of Qatar to convey condolences on the passing of the Father Emir, at Lusail Palace in Doha on Wednesday (15 July).

Upon her arrival, the Prime Minister was received by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar. The Prime Minister subsequently met with His Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya conveyed to the Emir the deepest condolences of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka on the passing of the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

The occasion was attended by the Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani; Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani; Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, Speaker of the Shura Council; senior members of the Royal Family.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Current El Niño Status in Sri Lanka

Published

14 hours ago

2026/07/16

Priyan

At present, El Niño conditions have developed and are classified as being at a weak level. Forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a very strong El Niño event developing during the period from November 2026 to January 2027. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is approximately a one-third probability that El Niño will remain below a very strong intensity.

Typical Climatic Conditions Associated with El Niño
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until December.

Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture /Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.

Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre (DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation…etc). The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to address climate-related impacts. The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached

Monthly Rainfall Forecasts for July, August and September 2026
Month Rainfall forecast
July 2026

During July 2026, there is a higher probability of having near normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces. The remainder of the country is expected to experience below normal rainfall.

August 2026

There is a higher probability of having below normal rainfall across most parts of the country during month of August 2026.

September 2026

There is a possibility of above-normal rainfall across most parts of the Western and Southern Provinces, while near-normal rainfall is expected in the Sabaragamuwa Province. Below-normal rainfall is likely in the remaining areas during September 2026.

Note: These long-range forecasts may change due to strong day-to-day atmospheric variability associated with the movement of weather systems such as atmospheric disturbances, low-pressure areas, and depressions, as well as intra-seasonal oscillations such as the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO). Therefore, in addition to the weekly and monthly forecasts, it is important to pay attention to the Department’s official announcements, weather advisories and warnings, as well as the daily weather forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology.