The UN has declared famine in parts of South Sudan – the world’s first since 2011 – and warned that Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria are also at risk. With the humanitarian system stretched as never before, hunger has reached unprecedented levels according to aid agencies.

South Sudan

The UN says roughly 40% of the population are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and that people are already dying from hunger as a result of famine in parts of the country.

Aid for South Sudan totalling £170m has been announced by the UK government and the EU following the famine declaration.

Nigeria

On Friday, a major international conference, hosted by Nigeria, Norway and Germany, will be held in Oslo with the aim of increasing funding for the crisis in north-east Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

Hundreds of thousands of children under the age of five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, with up to 20% dying unless more is done to reach them, according to the UN children’s fund, Unicef, and other aid organisations.

The estimated number of affected children is now 450,000 (pdf), with 14 million people needing humanitarian assistance across the region.

Somalia

Aid agencies are warning that urgent action is needed to avert a repeat of the famine that killed 260,000 people in Somalia between 2010 and 2012.

Britain’s Department for International Development pledged £100m to Somalia this week, amid reports that more than 6 million people – half the country’s population – face acute food insecurity.

Yemen

The UN has launched a $2.1bn (£1.6bn) appeal this year, its largest ever for the country.



Half of the country’s population – more than 14 million people – are hungry and children are dying from malnutrition. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is hosting a public appeal which has already raised £13m. The DEC unites the fundraising efforts of leading British agencies at times of major disasters overseas, to maximise income from the public.