As the effects of climate change spread, Madagascar, an island nation in Africa and the Indian Ocean, is facing food shortages for more than 1.3 million people due to prolonged drought.
The United Nations is developing urgent food aid with support from countries such as Japan, saying that climate change may cause "hunger" for the first time.
In southern Madagascar, it has been extremely rainy for about four years, and agriculture has been devastated as the drought spreads, such as the rivers drying up.
As a result, according to the United Nations, more than 1.3 million people are facing food shortages, of which about 30,000 are in a particularly serious condition.
Village health facilities regularly check the health of children, but many are poorly nourished and some are severely malnourished.
The cause is that many farmers are unable to cultivate and have to buy drinking water due to severe water shortages, making it difficult to buy food.
Under these circumstances, the United Nations is developing urgent food aid with support from each country, such as financial support of more than 300 million yen from Japan.
"Only Madagascar has a major food shortage in the absence of conflict," said Mangoni, deputy director of the World Food Program's Madagascar office. ”Is increasing the sense of crisis, saying that it may occur.
What is "hunger" defined by the United Nations?
The United Nations has a strict definition of "hunger," which represents a very serious food crisis, with at least 20% of households in certain districts having extreme food shortages and more than 30% of children being serious. It is based on the fact that there is malnutrition and that the number of deaths due to food shortages exceeds 2 out of 10,000 inhabitants every day.
Recently, it was reported that "hunger" occurred in parts of Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017.
In the background of the food crisis including "hunger", there are often conflicts such as civil war, and the selection committee of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize said that the food crisis is an important issue related to world peace and security. , I chose the United Nations WFP = World Food Program, which provides food assistance in conflict areas around the world.
On the other hand, in recent years, the effects of climate change have also been pointed out.
Of Yemen, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Madagascar, which the United Nations has warned at this time that "hunger" may occur, only Madagascar has no conflict and "may be the first famine due to climate change." I am increasing my concern.