The climate crisis is a humanitarian emergency. Its impact is devastating all over the planet, but vulnerable people, including refugees and displaced people, who live in conflict zones and fragile countries, are paying the highest price. The United Nations refugee agency (Unhcr) recalls this, explaining that, on the one hand, due to extreme weather phenomena such as floods, storms and droughts, an average of 21.5 million new displaced a year, including 23.7 million in 2021 alone. On the other hand, climate change is a multiplier of other risk factors, including, first of all, food insecurity.
Faced with such a situation, in April, UNHCR launched the campaign “The climate crisis is a humanitarian emergency” precisely to raise public awareness of the devastating effects of this crisis and to raise funds to help tens of millions of people risk.
Indeed, one of the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis is the increase in food insecurity. “Food is becoming increasingly inaccessible due to scarcity of water and productive land and the consequent impact on crops and food production. Food prices tend to rise, making access to food extremely difficult for many impoverished or displaced communities”, reads a note from the UNHCR which specifies that, globally, in 2021 about 193 million people were severely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance – an unprecedented number – in 53 countries, an increase of nearly 40 million people since the previous peak reached in 2020.
Unhcr points out that for example the Horn of Africa – the African region that includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya – is experiencing the worst drought for four decades now. A total of 23 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are severely food insecure.
UNHC is therefore calling on States to act urgently and collectively to combat climate change and mitigate its impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. The agency also urges states to “step up the protection and assistance of people displaced by natural disasters and the effects of climate change”. [Da Redazione InfoAfrica]
© breaking latest news
Read our focus dedicated to the impacts of climate change on the continent’s water resources: https://www.africaeaffari.it/rivista/la-grande-sfida-dellacqua