Food

In the Philippines, the World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that nutrition and food security are at risk in communities hit by Super Typhoon Odette three weeks ago.  Odette has made landfall nine times over an area the size of Austria over two days, affecting 7 million people.  WFP requires $25.8 million to provide food to 250,000 survivors.

Fifty-five journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2021, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – the lowest annual death toll in over a decade.  However, two thirds of those killings took place in countries not experiencing armed conflict and impunity for those crimes remains widespread.

The World Food Programme warned that it is running out of funds to continue its provision of food assistance to 13 million people in Yemen.  From January, 8 million people will receive a reduced food ration, while 5 million who are at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions, will remain on a full ration.

Amid the continued humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that it provided food to nearly 150,000 people and cash assistance to 6,000 on 14 December.  Some 100 food shops and other businesses have closed in Jalalabad city due to currency devaluation and high food and commodity prices.

Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council this morning his is deeply alarmed by the ongoing military escalating, intensified fighting and shifting frontlines in Yemen, which are endangering civilians.  Aid operations in the country are helping almost 11 million people each month.

The United Nations Population Fund launched a $835 million appeal to reach 54 million women, girls and young people in 61 countries in 2022 — the agency’s largest ever humanitarian appeal — seeking integrated sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, as well as comprehensive support for survivors of violence.

The International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the today launched a $1.79 billion plan to help Venezuelan refugees and migrants and their host communities in 17 Latin American and Caribbean nations.  The number of Venezuelan refugees has surpassed 6 million.

In Afghanistan, United Nations humanitarian colleagues report that aid and support continues to be distributed across several provinces, with more than 33,600 people receiving cash as winterization support and more than 27,000 people receiving food assistance under the World Food Programme.

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the Nutrition for Growth Summit, in Tokyo today:

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict urged Ethiopia to promptly sign an agreement with the United Nations to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.  She noted that extreme brutality is a hallmark of the ongoing conflict in the country’s Tigray region.