Famine Action Letter

December 02, 2021

With 45 million people on the brink of famine, Mercy Corps joins 120 other civil society organizations  in calling on world leaders to take urgent action.

Dear world leaders,

It is over six months since the UN warned that famine risk is soaring globally. We – a group of 120 NGOs from around the world – are at a loss that since then the crisis has only worsened. There has been a 370% rise in people experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger since April and now a staggering 45 million people are at extreme risk – on the brink of famine. These numbers do not tell the whole story. Behind them are people suffering immensely from a crisis that we can prevent. What will it take for this situation to change?

The promises of the G7’s Famine Prevention Compact issued in May have not yet been met. It is clear that, since then, the situation has only deteriorated. Grand gestures do not fill empty stomachs. As the UN Secretary General has recently alerted, less than half the funding needed to stave off famine in six countries of highest concern (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Southern Madagascar, north-east Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen) has been received to date. Meanwhile, some Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) are less than 20% funded.

The number of people at risk, and associated costs, are escalating, rising from $6.6bn needed to support 41 million people at risk of famine a few months ago, to $7bn needed to feed the 45 million people at risk across 43 countries, now. As basic food needs go unmet, humanitarian crises are escalating. One in 33 people worldwide are now in need of humanitarian assistance and one in ten people has malnutrition. The gap between needs and humanitarian funding is stark in some of the most vulnerable regions.

Conflict, the climate crisis, economic shocks and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are set to push more people into crisis level hunger and malnutrition in 2022. Conflict in particular is escalating globally, forcing families to flee their homes and lose their livelihoods. The hunger and malnutrition this is causing disproportionately affects women and girls putting them at increased risk of extreme hunger and gender-based violence.

In conflict settings, supporting peacebuilding and conflict prevention is also crucial. Further, it is time that political commitments made to uphold international law, safeguard people’s human rights and secure access to aid are acted upon. All parties to a conflict must facilitate humanitarian access, protect civilians and desist from using starvation as a method of warfare. Obstacles, such as sanctions and access denial, to humanitarian action are severely compounding a crisis that cannot be healed with money alone.

We have watched the number of people in need rise in 2021. We call on world leaders to take the urgent action desperately needed now to reverse this trend in 2022.

 

Signers: 

International iNGOs

Mercy Corps

Action Against Hunger

CARE International

Christian Aid

Concern Worldwide

Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

International Medical Corps

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

INTERSOS

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam International

Plan International

Save the Children

World Vision International

National and Local NGOs

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) Afghanistan
Qatar Red Crescent Society  Afghanistan -Office Afghanistan
Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) Afghanistan
La Chaîne de l’Espoir Afghanistan
Organization for Community Coordination and Development Afghanistan
Organization for people’s Health in action (OPHA) Afghanistan
Shuhada Organization Afghanistan
Aid Vision Country
Caritas Développement Kalemie-Kirungu Democratic Republic of Congo
Action Commune pour le Développement ONG ACD Democratic Republic of Congo
Action pour l’Encadrement des filles mères désœuvrées Democratic Republic of Congo
ADRA Democratic Republic of Congo
Amour et Avenir du Congo Democratic Republic of Congo
APPRONA (Appui aux Projets pour la Protection de la Nature) Democratic Republic of Congo
Armee de Salut Democratic Republic of Congo
Association des agriculteurs sans frontières Democratic Republic of Congo
Association des Jeunes Cultivateurs et Eleveurs pour le développement au Kivu Democratic Republic of Congo
AVSD Democratic Republic of Congo
BUREAU OECUMENIQUE D’APPUI AU DEVELOPPEMENT “BOAD” Democratic Republic of Congo
Bureau Œcuménique d’Appui au Développement “BOAD” Democratic Republic of Congo
Caritas Développement Tshumbe Democratic Republic of Congo
Caritas International Belgique Democratic Republic of Congo
Carrefour des Agriculteurs, Pécheurs et Eleveurs “CAPE3 Democratic Republic of Congo
Centre d’encadrement des personnes imprimeess Democratic Republic of Congo
Centre Oecuménique pour la Promotion du Monde Rural Democratic Republic of Congo
Comité pour le Développement et Assistance Humanitaire (CODEVAH) Democratic Republic of Congo
Consortium des Organisations Humanitaires Pour la Paix du Sud Kivu Democratic Republic of Congo
Cooperative Tunngana Democratic Republic of Congo
Coordination Nationale des Conviviums de Slow Food en RD Congo Democratic Republic of Congo
CS Savoir Vivre Democratic Republic of Congo
Direction Hygiène et Salubrité Publique Democratic Republic of Congo
Environnement Sans Frontières asbl Democratic Republic of Congo
Espoir Plus Democratic Republic of Congo
Food Security Cluster Democratic Republic of Congo
Foyer de Lutte Contre la Malnutrition Democratic Republic of Congo
Joseph NDAMBU Democratic Republic of Congo
Lutte Nationalle Contre La Pauvrete (LUNACOP) Democratic Republic of Congo
Paix et Développement de la Femme et de l’enfant Democratic Republic of Congo
Prodecom  (projet de développement la communion fraternelle) Democratic Republic of Congo
Regroupement des Acteurs pour le Développement de Base Democratic Republic of Congo
Réseau d’Investissement pour le Développement Intégral (RIDI) Democratic Republic of Congo
Solidarite Pour L’encadrement et Lutte Contre La Pauvrete Democratic Republic of Congo
UADI ASBL Democratic Republic of Congo
Union pour la Promotion/Protection, la Défense des Droits Humains et de l’Environnement-UPDDHE Democratic Republic of Congo
Youth Engaged for Development and Social Progress Democratic Republic of Congo
Youth for Development and Peace Democratic Republic of Congo
Caritas Développement Uvira Democratic Republic of Congo
ADSSE Democratic Republic of Congo
UN OCHA Middle East and North Africa Egypt
Finn Church Aid Finland
Finnish Development NGOs – Fingo Finland
Secours Islamique France France
Solidarités International France
ADRA Germany Germany
COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale Italy
Jordan Health Aid Society International Jordan
Jordan paramedic society Jordan
ADRA SOMALIA Kenya
Refugee Consortium of Kenya Kenya
slessor Kenya
Cesvi Kenya/Somalia
Middle East Council of churches Lebanon
Conseil des Agriculteurs, des Pécheurs et des Eleveurs “CAPE Mbuji-Mayi/Kasaï Oriental
FHI 360 Nigeria
iMMAP Nigeria
Jesuit Refugee Service Nigeria
Norwegian Refugee Council Nigeria
SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria
Women for Women International Nigeria
Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network Occupied Palestinian Territory
New World Hope Organization (NWHO) Pakistan
Society for Human Rights & Prisoners aid Pakistan
Groupes des Jeunes pour le Developpement Communitaire République Démocratique du Congo
Action In Semi Arid Lands ( ASAL) Somalia
Actionaid international somaliland Somalia
Development Action Network Somalia
FCA Somalia Country Office Somalia
Gargaar Relief and Development Organization (GREDO) Somalia
Horn International Relief & Development Organization (HIRDO) Somalia
Juba Foundation Somalia
QRCS Somalia
Shabelle Community Development Organization Somalia
SOLO Somalia
Somali NGO Consortium Somalia
Sustainable Development & Peace-building Initiatives (SYPD) Somalia
Trocaire Somalia
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Somalia
World Concern Development Organisation Somalia
Zamzam Foundation Somalia
FAWE Somalia Somalia
Humanitarian Translation for Somalia Somalia and Kenya
Wasds Somalia/Kenya
Mada Women Development SS South Sudan
Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation Turkey
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development Turkey
Horan Foundation Turkey
Action For Humanity UK
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development UK
Church World Service USA
ADO Yemen
ADRA Yemen
Bilding Foundation For Development Yemen
Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF) Yemen
Tamdeen Youth Foundation Yemen
ZOA Yemen