Paper details

Paper authors	Marc Cohen
In panel on	The politics of solidarity during famine
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

A year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic began, deaths from hunger are outpacing the virus. Ongoing conflict, combined with the economic disruptions (caused by the pandemic and other factors), and an escalating climate crisis, has deepened poverty and catastrophic food insecurity in the world’s hunger hotspots and established strongholds in new epicenters of hunger. In June 2021, 11 people likely died every minute from acute hunger linked to three lethal Cs: conflict, COVID-19, and the climate crisis. This rate outpaces the mid-2021 pandemic mortality rate of 7 people per minute. The worst is still yet to come unless governments urgently tackle food insecurity and its root causes head on. Governments must focus on funding urgent hunger response and social protection programs to save lives now, rather than striking arms deals that perpetuate conflict, war, and hunger. As equally important as stopping COVID-19 itself is stopping it from killing more people through hunger. We need action to create fairer, more resilient, and sustainable ways of achieving food security and freedom from hunger.

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