Famine: better prevention, better response

This briefing gives UK Parliamentarians an overview of the current situation in some of the countries experiencing crisis levels of hunger, and sets out some of the ways lives can be saved and longer-term impacts on development and stability can be achieved.

Published: 2018

After years of the rate of hunger declining worldwide, recently it has risen sharply again, largely due to conflict. On 22nd February 2017, the UN Secretary General announced there was a very credible risk of famine in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and North East Nigeria. Since then South Sudan has declared famine. Humanitarian intervention, largely spearheaded by the
UK, has helped avert famines in Northern Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia and rolled back the famine in South Sudan, but large areas of these countries remain in a state of emergency and famine remains a credible threat.

This briefing gives UK Parliamentarians an overview of the current situation in some of the countries experiencing crisis levels of hunger. It also sets out some of the ways lives can be saved, and longer-term impacts on development and stability can be achieved, by answering people’s needs appropriately.