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A28 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 april 2020
UN food agency chief: World on brink of `a hunger pandemic’

By EDITH M. LEDERER given day, including "about 30 million people tances that will hurt countries such as Haiti,
Associated Press who literally depend on us to stay alive." Nepal and Somalia; a loss of tourism revenue
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. Beasley, who is recovering from COVID-19, said which, for example, will damage Ethiopia
food agency warned Tuesday that, as the if those 30 million people can't be reached, where it accounts for 47 percent of total ex-
world is dealing with the coronavirus pan- "our analysis shows that 300,000 people could ports; and the collapse of oil prices which will
demic, it is also "on the brink of a hunger pan- starve to death every single day over a three- have a significant impact in lower-income
demic" that could lead to "multiple famines of month period" — and that doesn't include in- countries like South Sudan where oil accounts
biblical proportions" within a few months if im- creased starvation due to the coronavirus. for almost 99 percent of total exports.
mediate action isn't taken. "In a worst-case scenario, we could be look- As the U.N.'s logistics backbone, Beasley said
World Food Program Executive Director Da- ing at famine in about three dozen countries, WFP has played a major role in tackling COV-
vid Beasley told the U.N. Security Council that and in fact, in 10 of these countries we al- ID-19 by delivering millions of pieces of protec-
even before COVID-19 became an issue, he ready have more than one million people per tive equipment, testing kits and face masks
was telling world leaders that "2020 would country who are on the verge of starvation," to 78 countries on behalf of the World Health
be facing the worst humanitarian crisis since he said. Organization and by running humanitarian air
World War II." That's because of wars in Syria, According to WFP, the 10 countries with the services to get doctors, nurses and humanitar-
Yemen and elsewhere, locust swarms in Afri- worst food crises in 2019 were Yemen, Congo, ian staff into countries that need help.
ca, frequent natural disasters and economic Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Su- He urged greater humanitarian access, coor-
crises including in Lebanon, Congo, Sudan dan, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria and Haiti. dinated action to deliver aid, an end to trade
and Ethiopia, he said. Beasley said in many countries the food crisis is disruptions, and accelerated and increased
Beasley said today 821 million people go to the result of conflict. funding including $350 million to set up a net-
bed hungry every night all over the world, But he said he raised the prospect of "a hun- work of logistics hubs and transport systems to
a further 135 million people are facing "crisis ger pandemic" because "there is also a real keep supply chains running worldwide.
levels of hunger or worse," and a new World danger that more people could potentially "The truth is, we do not have time on our side,
Food Program analysis shows that as a result die from the economic impact of COVID-19 so let's act wisely — and let's act fast," Beasley
of COVID-19 an additional 130 million people than from the virus itself." said. "I do believe that with our expertise and
"could be pushed to the brink of starvation by The WFP chief said lockdowns and economic partnerships, we can bring together the teams
the end of 2020." recession are expected to lead to major in- and the programs necessary to make certain
He said in the video briefing that WFP is provid- come losses for the working poor. the COVID-19 pandemic does not become a
ing food to nearly 100 million people on any He pointed to a sharp drop in overseas remit- humanitarian and food crisis catastrophe."q

Pandemic is dealing European tourism 'staggering' blow

By RAF CASERT agencies and even more
Associated Press for some cruise and airline
HALLE, Belgium (AP) — The companies. Making things
European Union says its worse is that some countries
vaunted tourist industry is that are specifically hard-
facing "staggering" figures hit by the coronavirus are
of decline because of the also heavily dependent on
coronavirus crisis and the tourism, like Italy and Spain.
bloc's internal market com- The pandemic has been
missioner wants the sec- felt across the economic
tor to be first in line when it spectrum and the EU is
comes to recovery funds. gearing up for a massive
Thierry Breton mentioned aid operation, often com-
figures that the tourism pared to the U.S. Marshall
economy could slump up Plan which sought to lift up
to 70% and will be among a destitute Europe in the
the last to recover as the wake of World War II. EU
27-nation bloc is facing leaders will be meeting in
perhaps the toughest chal- a special video summit on
lenge since its inception. Thursday to get a better
Across Europe, desolation grip on the aid effort, which
illustrates the tourism crisis, some nations say needs a
from empty squares like fund with up to 1.5 trillion
the Brussels Grand Place to In this Thursday, March 26, 2020 file photo, the first tulips start to blossom at the empty, world- euros (1.63 trillion dollars)
deserted monuments like renowned, Dutch flower garden Keukenhof in Lisse, Netherlands. to help the bloc's worst-hit
Rome's Colosseum while Associated Press. countries.
idle gondolas await non- for half of world tourism. videolink on Tuesday. ternational travel was a de- Breton said he would work
existent tourists in Venice. The unprecedented scenes Based on information from cline of up to 30% this year hard to make sure that tour-
Arrival areas in airports since World War II are hit- international institutions while tourism could be hit ism would stand first in line.
stand empty and beaches, ting anything from multi- and trade groups, Breton with a slump between 45% Tourism is specifically reli-
basking in the sunshine, are national airlines to family- said that "we are looking and 70% in its economy. ant on any developments
deserted. Europe is hardly owned hotels. at quite staggering figures," "The loss of earnings at Eu- in the pandemic since
alone in facing hardship — "Tourism was the first sector adding that between 275 ropean level we are look- countries close off not only
what with the deserted wa- to be hit by the coronavirus and 400 billion euros ($300 ing at for hotels and restau- borders but often popular
terfront under Cape Town's and I am sure that it will be to $435 billion) would be rants is a magnitude of at places like museums and
Table Mountain and the the slowest to recover and lost for the tourism and least 50% in terms of annual beaches to contain the vi-
closed-off pyramids outside come out of this phase," travel industry because of income," Breton said, say- rus. Still, Breton said things
Cairo. But Breton said the Breton told a European the pandemic. ing it could rise to 70% for could change before the
European market accounts Parliament committee via He said the estimate for in- tour operations and travel summer. q