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About 121 million people could face famine by the end of the year, as a consequence of massive dismissals, social collapse, and the lack of humanitarian aid.
Oxfam in Kenya warned on Thursday that the COVID-19 impact on the economy could lead to about 12,000 hunger-related deceases topping the pandemic tally.
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"COVID-19 is the last straw for millions of people already struggling with the impacts of conflict, climate change, inequality, and a broken food system that has impoverished millions of food producers and workers," Oxfam's Interim Executive Director Chema Vera said.
South Sudan food crisis has intensified because of production failure and resource scarcity due to the pandemic. In India, agricultural workers lost their crops because of transportation disruptions. Brazilian poor workers lost income and savings, despite financial help pledges from the government.
About 121 million people could face famine by the end of the year, as a consequence of massive dismissals, social collapse, and the lack of humanitarian aid.
Congratulations. We have in Chile organizations & regular citizens that provide ‘soup kitchen’ food, but they fear the police who throw the pots away. pic.twitter.com/cPJWuvqNqb
— Á. Polignac (@apolignac) June 16, 2020
Oxfam urged governments to implement precautionary strategies to avoid pandemic harm on health but also in the economy and society.
"Meanwhile, those at the top are continuing to make a profit: eight of the biggest food and drink companies paid out over $18 billion to shareholders since January even as the pandemic was spreading across the globe ―ten times more than the UN says is needed to stop people going hungry," Vera stated.
According to Oxfam, African and South Asian nations are more vulnerable to pandemic harm, given their high poverty index and political crisis.
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