UN agencies warn of famine for millions, appeal for more funding

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ROME (Reuters) -Millions more people risk famine in at least a dozen crisis spots around the world, including Sudan and Gaza, two U.N. agencies warned on Wednesday, appealing for funds to address a shortfall amid global cuts to international aid.

In a joint report, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization also listed Haiti, Mali, South Sudan and Yemen as countries facing “an imminent risk of catastrophic hunger”, meaning famine.

It said the hunger situation in six more countries – Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and Syria – was considered to be of “very high concern”.

Against this backdrop, funding shortfalls for humanitarian aid “are crippling emergency responses, forcing deep ration cuts and reducing access to food for the most vulnerable groups with refugee food assistance at a breaking point,” the WFP and FAO said.

Calling for more help from governments and other donors, the WFP and FAO said that as of the end of October, only $10.5 billion had been received out of the estimated $29 billion needed to assist people most at risk.

“Famine prevention is not just a moral duty – it is a smart investment in long-term peace and stability,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Peace is a prerequisite for food security and the right to food is a basic human right.”

The United States, top donor to both U.N. agencies last year, has slashed its foreign aid under President Donald Trump, and other major nations have also made or announced cuts in development and humanitarian assistance.

(Reporting by Alvise ArmelliniEditing by Frances Kerry)