The repercussions of the epidemic are more deadly ... Corona threatens one fifth of the world's population with hunger

The British Guardian newspaper says that the effects of the Corona virus (Covid-19) may be more deadly than the virus itself, and although the pandemic has spread to all parts of the world, the poor countries that have been suffering from starvation and war are certainly the most affected.

The newspaper adds in its editorial that even for the wealthiest countries, the current health crisis has left hunger, so what about the poor countries that find themselves facing starvation? 

This is evident in the recent warning by the President of the World Food Program, that we are on the verge of a "hunger pandemic". In a few months from now, 36 countries will witness the possibility of multiple famine situations.

The British newspaper points to the loss of families, which were struggling to survive, the work that provides their strength, and remittances sent by individuals abroad are expected to decrease by about a fifth due to the pandemic, while tourist revenues faded, children lost school meals that were assigned to them, and caused Quarantine in tightening trade-offs and disrupting food supply chains.

A devastating blow
But the Corona virus is not the only one responsible for the outbreak of this crisis, but it is another devastating blow that further complicates the problems of countries that are already fighting due to the impact of war, global warming, health crises and other threats such as the locust attack that struck East Africa.

The newspaper recommends that 130 million people be added to the brink of starvation by the end of this year, and that the pandemic will leave its impact on one fifth of the world's population, many of whom live in overcrowded places characterized by poor sanitation and previous health crises, such as HIV or Tuberculosis, indicating that malnutrition would make them easy prey for Covid-19.

The worst case scenario is inevitable, Guardian added. While the food crisis is due to distribution and cost problems, agriculture will suffer in the long run, especially in places that require labor.

Therefore, the newspaper sees in its editorial an essential need for international solutions, given that countries alone cannot solve the dilemma of the balance between supply and demand, as the United Nations organizations mainly play strategic roles such as closing borders and imposing restrictions on transportation.

Economists and global health experts have warned that developing countries will need trillions of dollars to recover in the long run, while the United Nations is seeking in return $ 2 billion to remedy emergency situations. Rich countries pledged to a quarter of this amount a few days ago, but the situation now requires that they fulfill the promises they made. 

Affected areas It
is also necessary to activate the logistics plan, which requires providing $ 350 million to allow goods and relief workers to reach the areas affected by the crisis, and the newspaper believes that convincing governments to allow agricultural workers to move within and between countries will be crucial. 

The United Nations had warned that trying to protect domestic supplies through tariffs and an export ban would create extreme volatility, and that the G20 and IMF debt suspension agreements were a positive step forward, but they were not sufficient, as private creditors must also act.

The Guardian concludes that the Coruna virus is the latest evidence that the suffering of others cannot be contained individually, but is everyone's responsibility.