Hunger crisis ravages many Middle East nations, ICRC
“Massive scaling up urgently needed to tackle hunger crisis” says ICRC’s Director of Operations
The ICRC is appealing for $400m to help those most affected by the humanitarian crises in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria. The funds will ensure 5 million vulnerable people receive essential aid.
Speaking at a news conference in Geneva today, ICRC director of operations, Dominik Stillhart, warned a massive scaling up of aid was needed to avert a further spiralling downwards in these countries.
Earlier this month, the UN announced that more than 20 million people were facing famine in the four countries. Mr Stillhart said there was still time to avert a famine in Somalia and Yemen.
“Food, water, shelter and health care is required immediately. With our partners from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, we are increasing our response. We are on the ground and delivering aid in all four countries. We witness the massive suffering. Millions of people are denied the very basics to survive.”
The director of operations also underlined the need to directly address the root causes of the crisis.
“No amount of aid money will overcome political obstructionism and a failure to abide by the norms of warfare. Ultimately, in these countries, famine is a by-product. The root cause is the presence of long term, intractable conflict. It’s the conflict that renders agricultural land unusable, that forces people to flee their homes, and that destroys hospitals and other vital services,” said Mr Stillhart.
Mr Stillhart called on warring parties to make every effort to abide by the norms of warfare, and said States must better use their influence to make this happen. “Violations of the laws of war are directly leading to massive suffering so we need to address how war is waged.”
In addition to the ICRC appeal, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners in the 4 countries will need at least a further $100 million to fund their response to the crises.
The ICRC’s Middle East director, Robert Mardini, said that with essential goods and supplies running out, there was no time to waste in Yemen: “We’re doing what we can, but the needs are huge. The resilience of Yemenis is reaching a breaking point. Parties to the conflict in Yemen must act responsibly. More goods must be allowed into and across the country. Civilians and civilian infrastructure should not be targeted. Humanitarian access cannot be a bargaining chip. To prevent famine, immediate action is needed.”
Africa director Patricia Danzi said of Somalia: “Decades of conflict and lack of respect for the rules of war have forced many Somalis to flee their homes time and again, and left them extremely vulnerable. The severe drought and limited access to essential services only increases the suffering. We must act now to avert further tragedy.”
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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