In a “global early warning” report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization lists eight nations with a high risk of hunger and says famine is possible in three of them: Yemen, South Sudan, and Somalia. The FAO list is similar to an alert last month from the U.S.-created Famine Early Warning Systems Network that also saw a credible risk of famine in Nigeria.
The FAO said its report “aims to translate forecasts and early warnings into anticipatory action” to mitigate food shortages. Yemen is at risk, said the FAO, because of the ongoing blockade of food and medicine. Armed conflict has created the risk of famine in South Sudan, while prolonged drought has made famine a possibility in Somalia. The other high-risk nations are Myanmar, Bangladesh, Congo, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
With the support of donor nations, the FAO says its early warning system allows assistance “before disasters have happened and to mitigate or even prevent their impact.” The report offers a menu of recommended actions in each country. For Yemen, the recommendations include “emergency livelihood support” for food production and “backyard income-generating activities.”