
An Aid Worker’s Firsthand Account of the Crisis in Syria: “No one would do such a thing”
Families are arriving by the thousands at already over-crowded camps and they need everything — blankets, medicine, tents and, of course, food.

Families are arriving by the thousands at already over-crowded camps and they need everything — blankets, medicine, tents and, of course, food.

The locust upsurge affecting East Africa is a graphic and shocking reminder of this region’s vulnerability. Yet as ancient as this scourge is, its scale today is unprecedented in modern times.

On this episode of Hacking Hunger, we speak with WFP’s Annabel Symington in Yemen. The stories she tells us of Yemen’s women are either heartbreaking or heartwarming…sometimes both.

Hunger is projected to get progressively worse between now and July, due mainly to depleted food stocks and high food prices. “The food security situation is dire,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Country Director.

More than 689,000 people are on the move in northwest Syria as fighting forces families further north. The journey is dangerous, and WFP is working hard to support people who are displaced.

Airstrikes and armed clashes in northwest Syria have displaced over 800,000 people since December 2019 – 80% of whom are women and children. Many families were forced to flee on foot in the middle of winter, with temperatures at night reaching 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Growing up in Somalia in the 90s, Abdi Nor Iftin suffered through famine and war. This is his story of what he went through and how he survived.

“Move to higher ground!” “Keep your family together!” “Keep your phones charged and dry!” These were the warnings that rang out in the hours before the storm hit.

Experts forecast that close to 4.8 million people in the Central Sahel will be at risk of food insecurity during the lean season (June-August 2020) if no appropriate actions are taken urgently.

Only 5% of WFP’s total contributions in 2019 were unearmarked. The decrease goes against the aspirations of the 2016 agreement known as the “Grand Bargain.”