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.”
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Shiva Lingam and Youni
LINGAM & YOUNI
Lingam and Yoni in Sanskrit means the male and female sexual organs respectively. Hindus are allowed to worship anything – including sexual organs. It is not unknown for them to name their children as Shiva Lingam (God Shiva’s sexual organ) or Rama Lingam (God Rama’s sexual organ), (in some places in Karnataka, the gods demand both male and females to pray naked together).
“One day the sage Atri was performing tapas with his wife Anasuya. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva came and offered him a boon, but Atri remained silent, meditating. Then the three gods went to Anasuya. Siva had his linga in his hand, Visnu was full of erotic feeling, and Brahma was beside himself with desire, saying to Anasuya, ‘Make love with me or I will die.’ When she heard this coarse speech, Anasuya made no reply, for, although she feared the anger of the gods, she was true to her husband. But they were overcome with delusion, and they raped her by force. Then she became angry and she cursed Siva to be worshiped as a linga, Brahma to be worshiped in the form of a head, and Vishnu to be worshiped as feet, in order to ridicule them all, and she cursed them all to be reborn as her sons. Because of this, Siva was reborn as Durvasas.
comment 16#rum... samadhana kanappa ... when allah can allot 1:4 and 1:72 in jannath .. dont worry he will allot 1000 also ... bejar madkobeda guru ... samadhana nimma kashta novu artha agatte ... adakke anthane bunder nalli burnol and itch guard sigthade from 2014 . nam faizhal bhai ne distrubutor ... please go and tell my name ... 50% discount bere kodthare ... hahaha
ALLAH can bring 1000 0f zakir naik. Allah is the best plaaner.
We want people like Brother BOPANNA Brother Naren. Do not hurt them by Cursing,they are innocent they are not aware of Allah or Islam. Let us try our best to knowledge them about Life after Death. So that they too can join us in Allah's Beautiful Jannath. We can just pray for their Hidayath rest all in Allah's Hand.
\#9 , mr ANAL\", haha allah is the best planner? We saw the plan when 8 of them were given tickets to Jannat .... maybe the 72 virgins were bored waiting for them ?"
Hahaha superb maama ... chaddi jarisodaralle busy antha kanuthe ... enu madakke agalla 4 wives and mele 72 wives option iddaga ... chaddi haakodakke purusottu yellide .. hahaha ... nin ummah chummah kathe gottu bidappa ... hgappa working hours nangu and ningu ... toilet correct agi tolililla andre arab milk shake hodittaane :) haha... hogu hogu ... hogabekadre chaddi haakondu hogappa , papa chaddi gala mele dwesha ondu kade , 4 options na maintain mado bharadalli chaddi bagge ne gamana iralla ... muahhhhhhh.....henge mama ...
Center wants to ban peace promoter like Dr Zakir naik but not hate mongers like sangh parivars. Dr naik has inspired millions around the world towards truth and peace which doesn't go down the throats of anti muslims. He is internationally respected man even by the non muslim leaders. India need many more men like Dr Zakir Naik to remove misconceptions and promote the truth.
naren kotian, singapore
After reading your 9 lines of comments i can only say that as a Fenku Bhakt only you are best at Fenku. I am not saying like you that i will do this and that. Because of frustration you are himself trying to make proud and happy. Look at your anti-national comment already 9 dislikes has given. Never call yourself again as a nationalist. You and your sanghis cant be nationalist. Lo magane Ninge yen gottu Muslim ummah takattu. Ummah manassu madidre nin tarah Billions chaddigala chaddi in seconds jarisabahudu.
kill naren ... hahaha ... we can make out how third rated jihadis are frustrated ....magalchiiiii...... mark my words ,if you are dreaming about another partition ... it is just day dream ... gone or the days ,where back stabbing from behind used to happen ... when it comes to india ...ninnatha koti jana gun ethkondu bandru ... we nationalist indians will face and ruthlessly massacre for trying to split our nation ... look at 3 likes for this anti national comment , wwho supports his version of partition ....sanghis and bhangis na eradicate madakke neenalla , nin entire ummah manas madidru sadya illa ... dont give buildup ... hogo le fish maaro time aithu ....bholo bharath mata ki jai... vande mataram ... india is safe under our powerful modi, jihadists are getting frustrated day by day as they are losing grip .. so it is truly visible .look at mujra and khoja dance u r ummah is doing infront of israel , then u think about india .... hahaha...
Kuffars are on full scale devilish mode. Let them plan, Allah is the best planner.
Religion of PIECE ! India should build stronger jails for Naik and his followers
naren before you ban youtube regards all thinks you first understand the truthness after i will not get you,,, try to get truth ness
#2 naren kotian
Relax man! Relax! In one breath how much you will speak bad about zakir naik and his followers. You are missing one point here indian govt must monitor foreign funding of terrorist organization RSS and its other groups. Also have to keep close vigil on his sympathisers , enact goonda act.
What do you think only you have mouth to speak. You cheddi bhakt!!!
Naren, everyone know that hawala king is once ratayatra master and UAE business man who is changing sanghis black money into white money who took chaywala to dubai visit.
Neevu maadiruva paayikaana bekadastiruvaga innobbar paayikaane hudukikondu hogabedi iruvudanne tindu bidi, hotte uri sariyaagabahudu
NARENA ...Burnol hachko ...you can ban PEACE but you CANT STOP INDIA BEING PIECE .....because of you people another Freedom struggle soon start to eradicate all Sanghis and Bhangis .......
JAI HIND
We condemn this and ask Supreme court to intervene and tell Center to avoid such cunning acts and miss leading normal citizens
monitor hawala network ,90% funds they get via hawala ... this particular segment doesnot use banking system much .put him on interpol most wanted list , ban his programs and youtube . keep close vigil on his sympathisers , enact goonda act . profiling is must as entire world is facing jihadist threats , we must screen like israelis and even trump is keen to follow and japan already imposed it .
It doesnt matter to those who have IMAAN in their heart...
Millions of honest people who look for TRUTH have already Got the message of the TRUTH of Worshiping one TRUE GOD...and bringing them near to the TRUTH.
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