The Regional Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for Latin America Miguel Barreto warned of an increase in food insecurity in Central America as a result of the pandemics and extreme weather events.
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Over the last two years, around eight million people have suffered from hunger in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. At least 1.7 million people are currently "in need of urgent food assistance."
The number of households that did not have enough to eat during the COVID-19 health emergency nearly doubled in Guatemala, while the figures increased by over 50 percent in Honduras.
In 2020, Hurricanes Eta and Iota destroyed over 200,000 hectares of staple food in the four countries and over 10,000 hectares of coffee farmland.
The WFP launched an urgent appeal to raise US$47.3 million over the next six months in order to provide assistance to 2.6 million people in Central America.
A survey conducted last month also showed that nearly 15 percent of the interviewers were making concrete plans to migrate due to a lack of employment opportunities.
"Urban and rural communities in Central America have hit rock bottom. The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had already put food on store shelves out of reach for the most vulnerable people... Many of whom are staying in temporary shelters," Barreto said.