Hunger in the News: Climate, global conflict, and SNAP

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Hunger in the News

Why World Hunger Isn’t Going Away As Fast As We Hoped,” by Nurith Aizenman, NPR.

Troubling underlying trends in world hunger have alarmed hunger experts and dim prospects of eliminating hunger internationally by 2030. Violent conflicts and climate instability have caused the number of people not getting enough food to rise for the first time in years. South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Nigeria are the worst off, where 20 million people are at risk of famine.

UN report on Royingha hunger is shelved at Myanmar’s request,” by Oliver Holmes, The Guardian.

The Burmese government’s persecution of the Royingha minority has led to a spiraling hunger crisis which has left a full third of their households experiencing extreme food deprivation. The report from the World Food Project was taken down at the Burmese government’s request, outraging many. Increasing violence and state repression in the region is worsening the hunger crisis.

World Food Day: 350,000 people in Chad face starvation,” by Anne Barker, ABC News.

Boko Haram and the drying of Lake Chad has had a devastating effect on the millions living in the region. Nearly 400,000 are at direct risk of starvation and 8 million more face food insecurity. Boko Haram destroyed crops and villages, displacing hundreds of thousands and intensifying climate shock caused food insecurity.

50,000 line up outside Tropical Park seeking post-hurricane food assistance,” by Glenn Garvin, The Miami Herald.

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, 50,000 Florida residents stood in line for over nine hours attempting to receive temporary SNAP benefits. They would ordinarily not qualify for such food assistance, but do qualify for temporary disaster benefits. The hungry and exhausted crowds waited in the hot Florida sun.

Famine threatening 4 countries casts shadow over global hunger process,” by Morgan Winsor, ABC News.

Conflict in four nations has the potential to upset almost two decades of progress in international hunger reduction. In Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency has left a quarter million children severely malnourished. Over half of Somalia’s population is in need of aid, and hundreds of thousands of people could perish if a famine like the one in 2011 breaks out. South Sudan has over 6 million people suffering from severe food insecurity. In February, the UN formally declared a famine in the nation. Conflict and climate shocks are also fueling famine conditions in Yemen.

Agriculture Secretary Perdue Favors Food Stamp Restrictions,” by Heather Haddon and Jacob Bunge, The Wall Street Journal.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke out against extending food stamp benefits to those who have jobs. This could cast millions off of SNAP benefits.

Why so many veterans go hungry – and VA’s new plan to fix it,” by Caitlin Dewey, The Washington Post.

American veterans often struggle with hunger. This problem is especially widespread among younger veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, whose hunger rates are double the national average, sitting at 24 percent. More than half of the children at Pentagon-run schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The VA has announced screenings for veterans at its clinics, asking veterans if they have struggled to put food on the table in recent months, to combat this problem.

 

 

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