UK charity Human Appeal tackles hunger crisis across the world

 Image by Human Appeal

In the midst of a hunger crisis, UN statistics have revealed that one in nine people go hungry every day. The evidence is seen everywhere, shown through mainstream media, social media and accounts from people who are suffering.

The causes are many. Multiple national and international conflicts place lives at risk not only through the danger of conflict driven violence, but lack of ability to access food and sanitary water. The climate crisis causes problematic and insecure unreliable weathers conditions for crop growing, while natural disasters damage farming land and restrict, and disrupt the transportation of both ordinary food supplies as well as emergency provisions and aid.

Even here in the UK as inflation and the cost of living rises more families are going without meals as food prices rise and decisions are being made over the need to heat and power a home or have enough to eat – often with not enough money for either.

At the frontline of combatting the hunger crisis is Human Appeal, a charity operating emergency response as well as development programs in numerous countries around the globe. From the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and the UK where each year more children enter food poverty. Having a presence on so many global hunger fronts, situates Human Appeal to understand the long reaching effects of food poverty as well as the multitude of causes and to fight against it.

The reach and causes of the crisis are vast and long reaching, there is no single approach, one size does not fit all. Instead for each community and country approaches must differ. There are many instances where aid is carried out despite food being plentiful – and yet inaccessible to many. A contrast but one with the same final consequences as those areas suffering from food shortages or famine. Human Appeal’s work is as varied as the situations in which our beneficiaries live.

In Somalia 350,000 children are facing starvation. Extreme drought has caused crop loss, and famine, affecting 90% of the country. Sadly, it is not just the very real and stark threat of starvation but also the loss of homes, land and community as more Somalians leave their home and become internally displaced in the search for food and water sources. Human Appeal are tackling immediate need, supplying monthly food packages to displaced people living in camps in Mogadishu. These packages also include high calories treatments for malnutrition, vital in restoring health to people and especially children living with extreme and yet common effects of famine.

For families in Syria, the food crisis comes not as result of weather conditions but as a lasting effect of the ongoing 11-year conflict. 12.4 million Syrians, both living in their homes, and internally displaced, face food shortages and hunger. The action against hunger had to be diverse. Along with providing food parcels, Human Appeal actively combats the effects of the hunger crisis in Syria through the building of hospitals and the provision of dialysis and other medical interventions and permanent home structures to act as long-term solutions.

The numbers are no better in Yemen where 20 million people (about the population of New York) face food shortages and 161,000 thousand people are at risk of famine. A result of environmental factors and the soaring prices of food. The situation has grown so bad that over 12 million children are being treated for malnutrition. It is here that they saw see just how diverse action against famine must be, as well as providing food parcels, Human Appeal actively combats the effects and causes of the hunger crisis by assisting farmers with seeds, equipment and water tanks. Intensive hospital care is provided for women as well as neonatal care for new babies and mothers, often at greater risk of complication because of malnutrition.

Through their Emergency Fund, Human Appeal has been providing water, food and medicine to the many vulnerable in Afghanistan. However, the situation has worsened since they first arrived in Afghanistan. In June, a deadly earthquake hit the Khost province of Afghanistan, worsening the displacement and food crisis already affecting 93% of Afghani households. 2 million children are malnourished and with the healthcare systems also collapsing treatment is scarce. Human Appeal has been providing cooked meals for survivors and on the occasion of Qurbani Eid distributed fresh meat.

This year has also seen Ukraine enter crisis. With 4 million Ukrainians now displaced, and many remaining in conflict zones, it is predicted that 12 million Ukrainians will experience food scarcity. Human Appeal began on the ground in Poland providing resources to refugees but has now been able to move into Ukraine and through partnership with local NGOs provide much needed food, water and shelter in three key cities. Human Appeal has facilitated the delivery of medical supplies to Ukraine in partnership with Globus Relief USA.

Families around the World cannot wait and need our support now, before hundreds of thousands of lives are lost to this silent crisis. To donate, visit: https://humanappeal.org.uk/donate/projects/food-security/food-fund.