The global food crisis and climate change are contributing to eight million children under 5 sinking into severe malnutrition in 15 countries, including Sudan and Yemen, it has been revealed.
One child every minute becomes at risk of death from malnutrition and lack of food, a statement from the UN children's body Unicef said on Wednesday.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a global shortage of wheat. The two nations are two of the world’s largest exporters of the product — and Russia has created a blockade on Ukraine’s supply, leaving millions of tonnes sitting in silos.
“We are now seeing the tinderbox of conditions for extreme levels of child wasting begin to catch fire,” said Unicef executive director Catherine Russell. Severe wasting occurs when a child's weight becomes too low for their height.
The UN calls it “the most visible and lethal form of malnutrition” and says immediate action is needed, using therapeutic food — a combination of powdered milk, peanuts, butter, vegetable oil, sugar and vitamins that comes in 500-calorie sachets. But the group estimates that the cost of treating child wasting has already increased by about 16 per cent.
“Food aid is critical, but we cannot save starving children with bags of wheat," Ms Russell said. "We need to reach these children now with therapeutic treatment before it is too late.”
Climate change has also contributed to drought in some countries, depleting crop yield and forcing people into hunger and displacement.
Unicef said it was scaling up its response in the 15 most-affected countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
Yemen is in the seventh year of war since Houthi militias took over the capital Sanaa, prompting the government to call on Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries to intervene.
More than two million children are acutely malnourished in Yemen, which has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world.
A recent Red Cross survey found almost one third of families have gaps in their diets and hardly ever consume foods such as pulses, vegetables, fruit, dairy products or meat.
Sudan, too, has been experiencing political turmoil, shortage of funds and an influx of refugees from Ethiopia, where rebels are fighting against the government. In Sudan, about 2.5 million children are said to be malnourished.
Before the G7 summit taking place in Madrid next week, Unicef called for $1.2 billion to combat hunger in these nations.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
