Hounde, Jul 28: Coronavirus and its restrictions are pushing already hungry communities over the edge, killing an estimated 10,000 more young children a month as meager farms are cut off from markets and villages are isolated from food and medical aid, the United Nations warned Monday.
In the call to action shared with The Associated Press ahead of publication, four UN agencies warned that growing malnutrition would have long-term consequences, transforming individual tragedies into a generational catastrophe.
Hunger is already stalking Haboue Solange Boue, an infant from Burkina Faso who lost half her former body weight of 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms) in just a month. Coronavirus restrictions closed the markets, and her family sold fewer vegetables. Her mother was too malnourished to nurse.
“My child,” Danssanin Lanizou whispered, choking back tears as she unwrapped a blanket to reveal her baby's protruding ribs.
More than 550,000 additional children each month are being struck by what is called wasting, according to the UN — malnutrition that manifests in spindly limbs and distended bellies. Over a year, that's up 6.7 million from last year's total of 47 million. Wasting and stunting can permanently damage children physically and mentally.
“The food security effects of the COVID crisis are going to reflect many years from now,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, the WHO head of nutrition. “There is going to be a societal effect.”
From Latin America to South Asia to sub-Saharan Africa, more poor families than ever are staring down a future without enough food.
In April, World Food Program head David Beasley warned that the coronavirus economy would cause global famines “of biblical proportions” this year. There are different stages of what is known as food insecurity; famine is officially declared when, along with other measures, 30% of the population suffers from wasting.
The World Food Program estimated in February that one Venezuelan in three was already going hungry, as inflation rendered salaries nearly worthless and forced millions to flee abroad. Then the virus arrived.
“Every day we receive a malnourished child,” said Dr. Francisco Nieto, who works in a hospital in the border state of Tachira.
In May, Nieto recalled, after two months of quarantine, 18-month-old twins arrived with bodies bloated from malnutrition. The children's mother was jobless and living with her own mother. She told the doctor she fed them only a simple drink made with boiled bananas.
“Not even a cracker? Some chicken?” he asked.
“Nothing,” the children's grandmother responded. By the time the doctor saw them, it was too late: One boy died eight days later.
The leaders of four international agencies — the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization — have called for at least dollar 2.4 billion immediately to address global hunger.
But even more than lack of money, restrictions on movement have prevented families from seeking treatment, said Victor Aguayo, the head of UNICEF's nutrition program.
“By having schools closed, by having primary health care services disrupted, by having nutritional programs dysfunctional, we are also creating harm,” Aguayo said. He cited as an example the near-global suspension of Vitamin A supplements, which are a crucial way to bolster developing immune systems.
In Afghanistan, movement restrictions prevent families from bringing their malnourished children to hospitals for food and aid just when they need it most. The Indira Gandhi hospital in the capital, Kabul, has seen only three or four malnourished children, said specialist Nematullah Amiri. Last year, there were 10 times as many.
Because the children don't come in, there's no way to know for certain the scale of the problem, but a recent study by Johns Hopkins University indicated an additional 13,000 Afghans younger than 5 could die.
Afghanistan is now in a red zone of hunger, with severe childhood malnutrition spiking from 690,000 in January to 780,000 — a 13% increase, according to UNICEF.
In Yemen, restrictions on movement have blocked aid distribution, along with the stalling of salaries and price hikes. The Arab world's poorest country is suffering further from a fall in remittances and a drop in funding from humanitarian agencies.
Yemen is now on the brink of famine, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which uses surveys, satellite data and weather mapping to pinpoint places most in need.
Some of the worst hunger still occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. In Sudan, 9.6 million people live from one meal to the next — a 65% increase from the same time last year.
Lockdowns across Sudanese provinces, as around the world, have dried up work and incomes for millions. With inflation hitting 136%, prices for basic goods have more than tripled.
“It has never been easy but now we are starving, eating grass, weeds, just plants from the earth,” said Ibrahim Youssef, director of the Kalma camp for internally displaced people in war-ravaged south Darfur.
Adam Haroun, an official in the Krinding camp in west Darfur, recorded nine deaths linked with malnutrition, otherwise a rare occurrence, over the past two months — five newborns and four older adults, he said.
Before the pandemic and lockdown, the Abdullah family ate three meals a day, sometimes with bread, or they'd add butter to porridge. Now they are down to just one meal of “millet porridge” — water mixed with grain. Zakaria Yehia Abdullah, a farmer now at Krinding, said the hunger is showing “in my children's faces.”
“I don't have the basics I need to survive,” said the 67-year-old, who who hasn't worked the fields since April. “That means the 10 people counting on me can't survive either.”
The ‘case’, filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM), sought to be made out against Ram is that his conduct showed him wanting in the treatment of women.
Comments
Dear Sameer,
What can i say, if a Bat hung upside down and laughs at the topsy turvy world. The Bat is also right in its point of view.
I do not benefit from what others have to believe.
So let him follow what he feels right.
Dear Suresh, Its not matter of brilliant or stupid Mr. Kiran Kumar has logically explained the fact and reality, which being hindu I do 100% agree.
Sameer,
Regarding Kiran kumar's comments, i can only say \If we all were so brilliant like him, then today everyone of us would have been Scientist \"
one of his point I agree, real religion is Humanity, love and compassion towards fellow being and all living being on earth.
God is great.. Jai shri Ram, Jai shri krishna,"
Suresh, what you say about Mr. Kiran Kumar comment!!!
Wake up man!!!
Dear Ahmed Ali K.
Yes just by looking at the story isn't it true that at a point of time even you felt that Narada is more powerful than Lord Vishnu himself. This greatness Lord vishnu.
God will never want his devotees, his saints, to be humbled or humiliated, insulted at anytime.
Its is Lord vishnus way of telling we people what is the importance the value, dignity of a revered saint, devotee, guru in his eyes.
The story of how Lord vishnu disguises himself for his devotees
for Sena barber, Lord vishu/hari takes form of Barber and cuts hair of the Sultan.
for Bhakta Kumbhar, Lord hari comes down as a servant and does all pottery work.
for Bhaka Sakubhai, Lord vishnu comes down as daughter-in-law and does all household work and take care of her in-laws till she returns from pilgrimage from Pandarpur.
For Saint Namdev, he comes down to eat prasad at the famous Pandarpur vithala temple.
And the List is endless.
There are more knowledgeable people than me who can explain better.
Jai shri Krishna, Jai Sri Ram.
@Irfan - As of now there are many many good peoples like you living on earth. He will certainly come, when there is not a single good person like you left on earth, then god will manifest himself in some form.
Hope you got it. Jai shri Ram.
Oyee Naren you should look at this now.... This is funny really! Where are you guys why no protest now??
Ramayana, Mahabharata both were frictions/scripts like movie stories written by normal human being Valkimi & Vyasa. Unfortunate that we blindly believe/follow such frictions and ignore the real religion that is called Humanity!!
In reality there is only one super power that's called GOD, who is controlling this entire universe!!
@ Suresh,
present scenario Adharma is increasing why your God is not coming in any form, he is tired or in deep sleep.
Hey Ram, Kya kaliyug agaya !
Dear Suresh
For Clarification only
If Vishnu is a \LORD\" and how can Narada curse a lord?
In this cases Narada is powerful and he should be given higher position"
'He does not have a material form'(na tasya pratima asti).He is transcendental.However matter too comes from God. It is God's energy/potency. He being all powerful can choose to manifest Himself in a material form. That is called a deity not idol. Hence it is deity worship not idol worship. Also idol is a imaginary form, however the material image created is based on detailed description of Sri Krsna. Therefore it is not imaginary.
Islam is not revealed scripture. It provides no clear conception of God. It has created an imaginary personality called Satan and yet blame others for 'idolatry'!!
Dear SURESH,
Ekam evadvitiyam - He is ONE only without a Second.(Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1)1
Na Casya Kasc ij Janita na Cadhipah - Of him there are neither parents nor Lord. (Svetasvatar Upanishad 6:9)2
What U are telling is stories made by some people who deviated U guys from the true one God..
How can U believe such ill made up Gods who are falling for curses & monkey... .Please use your god given intellectual. & identify what QURAN says about GOD and compare it with what U claim to be God.
Lord Vishnu's incarnation as Sri Rama, was becoz of curse of Narada.
When Narda once insisted Lord vishnu, what is \Maya\", then the next moment Narada was in Maya. He fell in love with beautiful princess whom he wished to marry. So Narada prayed to Lord vishnu that he get the face of \"HARI\" Lord vishnu's face and lord vishnu granted him the wish. But the other meaning of HARI is monkey. So narada got the face of Monkey. Thus Narada Cursed Lord Vishnu, that he may be born as Human being, undergo pain suffering of separations from wife and children. Thus lord Vishnu took 7th incarnation as Sri Rama and this was all pre destined. Infact the purpose of curse of narada was also pre destined. The whole purpose was to anihiliate the Demon King Ravana, and cleansing the earth of evils.
Nothing new. \"Whenever there is decline of dharma and increase of Adharma, then the lord manifest himself for protection of the pious, the destruction of the evil doers and establishing virtue. Thus the Lord manifest himself in every age in one form or the other.\"
Nothing new, people please stop -(being silly, talk silly and doing silly things around). Please read Ramayana, Chant Lord Rama's name and and be happy. In the end only this name will liberate your soul.
Jai Sri Ram."
Put rape and cheating case against Lord Krishna as he raped lot of Hindu girls...what a shame God
Dear Manohar,
Ur divine book also mentioned that GOD is one & Na tasya pratima asti...There is no image of God -
Then How come some people made the pious human being as GOD. as there is no image of God..
We request honestly to look & research your divine book & find the TRUTH behind worshiping the idols...
Suppose Ram found guilty, what type of punishment the Honarable Judge will deliver and how he will be punished??
For sure, He is not God
He was Born & He died same like WE people.. So he is a human just like us... People who are smart will know the reality behind such deception of making human god and collecting money... God doesnt need money... But God ask people to give money to the POOR and not himself..
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