THE THIRD SEAL: THE BLACK HORSEMAN OF FAMINE, ECONOMIC DEPRESSION, INFLATION

THE THIRD SEAL: THE BLACK HORSEMAN OF
FAMINE, ECONOMIC DEPRESSION, INFLATION
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THE COMING GLOBAL CRISIS EXPLAINED
“You can hear what the natural ear cannot perceive. The Bible declares
in Proverbs 10:25, "When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
but the righteous has an everlasting foundation."
“And I tell you, by the uncction of THE HOLY GHOST, the whirlwind is
gathering force even as I SPEAK. I SEE THEM. Oh, I SEE THEM SO
CLEARLY. The masses stumbling (5) THROUGH LIFE LIKE SLEEP WALKERS,
(5) DOPED UP ON PHARMACEUTICAL NUMBNESS, drunk on (5) THE
WINE OF WORLDLY PLEASURE, (5) CHASING SHADOWS WHILE
IGNORING SUBSTANCE.”
“They put (5) THEIR TRUST IN POLITICAL SAVIORS who cannot save
themselves. In economic systems (5) BUILT ON PILLARS OF GREED, in
technological (5) ADVANCEMENTS THAT PROMISE GODLIKE POWER, (5)
BUT DELIVER ONLY DEEPER BONDAGE.”
“They mock the ancient paths, scorn the old landmarks, and (7) LAUGH
AT THE NOTION OF DIVINE JUDGMENT. But their laughter is about to
catch in their throats. For the storm that approaches will not be like
previous economic downturns or seasonal crises.”
“This will be a DIVINE UNVEILING, a COSMIC EXPOSURE of EVERY FALSE
FOUNDATION, every IDOLATROUS TRUST, every MAN-MADE REFUGE
that cannot stand when the (7) BREATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD BLOWS
UPON IT.”
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“The Lord shows you visions that will make your blood run cold. Visions
of once mighty skyscrapers with FORTUNE 500 LOGOS collapsing into
dust because they were (5) BUILT ON EXPLOITATION AND INJUSTICE.”
“Visions of political empires crumbling overnight because they (5)
EXALTED THEMSELVES ABOVE THE MOST-HIGH. Visions of banking
systems. Those towering temples of Mammon imploding under the (5)
WEIGHT OF THEIR OWN CORRUPTION, leaving millions staring at
empty (7) SCREENS WHERE THEIR LIFE SAVINGS ONCE APPEARED.”
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“I see supply chains snapping like rotten threads. GROCERY STORE
SHELVES STANDING EMPTY and once orderly streets descending into
chaos as THE THIN VENEER (7) OF CIVILIZATION IS STRIPPED AWAY TO
REVEAL. THE THIN VENEER (7) OF CIVILIZATION IS STRIPPED AWAY TO
REVEAL the (7) DESPERATE ANIMAL NATURE OF HUMANITY WITHOUT
ME.”
“But listen to me very carefully, you righteous remnant. While the world
panics, you will have peace. While the wicked run to and fro seeking
solutions that don't exist, you will be (7) still and know that I am God.”
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“While GOVERNMENTS IMPLEMENT DESPERATE MEASURES (5) THAT
ONLY DEEPEN THE CRISIS, you will look to the hills from whence comes
your help. Your foundation is (5) THE SAND OF HUMAN OPINION or the
(5) SHIFTING SILT OF POLITICAL FAVOR.”
“YOUR FOUNDATION IS THE ROCK OF AGES, THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE,
THE KING IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, THE ONLY WISE GOD. THE SAME GOD
who fed Elijah by ravens during famine. WHO GUIDED ISRAEL by pillar
of cloud through wilderness. WHO MADE DANIEL FLOURISH in
captivity.”
“THE SAME GOD HAS SWORN to (7) PRESERVE HIS PEOPLE IN THE
COMING STORM. I see A GREAT SIFTING coming. A DIVINE (7)
SEPARATION BETWEEN THE NOMINAL AND THE GENUINE, the (7)
CULTURAL CHRISTIAN AND THE BLOOD BOUGHT BELIEVER.”
“Many who sat in pews for years will ABANDON THE FAITH when their
COMFORT IS THREATENED. Many (5) WHO RECITED CREEDS WILL curse
God when their BANK ACCOUNTS EVAPORATE.”
“BUT A REMNANT, A GLORIOUS, PURIFIED, SPOTLESS REMNANT WILL
SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE DEEPENING DARKNESS. THEY WILL NOT BE
IDENTIFIED BY DENOMINATIONAL LABELS OR THEOLOGICAL DEGREES,
BUT BY THE FIRE IN THEIR EYES AND THE AUTHORITY IN THEIR
PRAYERS.”
“THEY WILL WALK IN SUCH INTIMACY WITH GOD THAT THEIR VERY
PRESENCE WILL BRING CONVICTION TO SINNERS AND TERROR TO
DEMONS. THEY WILL MANIFEST SUCH SUPERNATURAL PROVISION
THAT SKEPTICS WILL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. SURELY GOD IS WITH
THESE PEOPLE.”
“The (7) STORM IS NOT COMING TO DESTROY YOU, beloved. It's coming
to distinguish you. The (7) SHAKING IS NOT MEANT TO BREAK YOU. It's
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meant to reveal (7) THE UNBREAKABLE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH
YOU STAND.”
“The exposure of men's systems is not cause fear. It's (7) TO
DEMONSTRATE THE SUPERIORITY OF GOD'S KINGDOM. That's why the
enemy is fighting you so fiercely right now. He knows that once you
discover you don't need what the world offers, you (7) BECOME
DANGEROUS (5) TO HIS KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.”
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“That financial pressure, that's because heaven's abundance is your
portion. That health battle that's setting you up for a miracle that will
confound physicians. That family strife that's pruning you for greater
spiritual authority.”
“If your SPIRIT IS LEAPING within you, if you can sense the SHIFTING OF
SEASONS. Let hell hear your confidence. Let heaven record your
declaration and prepare yourself because what (7) THE LORD IS ABOUT
TO REVEAL NEXT will show you exactly how I will (7) PROTECT MY
PEOPLE DURING THE COMING CRISIS.”
“The specific strategies the enemy will use to try to steal your
inheritance. The storm is gathering force, but so is THE GLORY. And
when they collide, the world will witness something it hasn't seen since
the book of Acts. MY BELOVED, LEAN IN CLOSE”
“Why I ALLOW SHAKINGS closer than you've ever leaned before. And
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION that has echoed through the ages, a cry
that has risen from human lips since the foundation of the world.”
“Why? Why would A GOD OF LOVE permit such shaking? Why would a
FATHER OF COMPASSION allow such suffering? The world asks this in
anger, in confusion, in accusation. But THE SPIRIT WHISPERS THE
ANSWER (7) TO THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO HEAR.”
“The Bible thunders in Isaiah 26:9. For when your judgments are in the
earth, the (7) INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN
RIGHTEOUSNESS. Do you understand what this means?”
“This is not random chaos. This is not divine cruelty. This is the surgery
of A LOVING FATHER cutting away the CANCER OF SIN before it destroys
the patient entirely. I SEE IT SO CLEARLY.”
“Humanity has been drinking from broken systems that can hold no
water. You have WORSHIPED THE WORK of your own hands, TRUSTED
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IN SYSTEMS built on sand, and BOWED BEFORE THE ALTAR of your own
intelligence.”
“And I, IN MY MERCY, am letting the leanness come into your souls. I
AM REMOVING THE PROPS. (7) I AM STRIPPING AWAY THE FALSE
SECURITIES. I AM ALLOWING the very things you trusted in, to reveal
their bankruptcy.”
“This is DIVINE LOVE in its most severe form. The LOVE THAT REFUSES
to let you PERISH IN YOUR DELUSIONS. The LOVE THAT WOULD rather
see you TEMPORARILY UNCOMFORTABLE THAN ETERNALLY LOST. The
LOVE THAT SHAKES everything that can be shaken so that only the
UNSHAKABLE KINGDOM REMAINS.”
“Look at the world around you. The INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE that
denies the creator, now cannot even define what a woman is. The (5)
ECONOMIC SYSTEMS BUILT ON GREED now teeter on the BRINK OF
COLLAPSE. The (5) SEXUAL REVOLUTION THAT PROMISED FREEDOM
now delivers (5) BONDAGE WORSE THAN ANY CHAINS.”
“The TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS (5) THAT PROMISED TO PLAY GOD,
now threatens to become HUMANITY'S JAILER. This is the fullness of
Romans 1. (7) GOD GIVING HUMANITY OVER TO ITS DESIRES until we
see (5) THE FRUIT OF OUR REBELLION. This is MERCY in the form of
CONSEQUENCE.”
“This is GRACE ALLOWING US to taste the BITTERNESS OF THE POISON
we called nectar. That oh, the beautiful paradox of DIVINE JUDGMENT.
The same storm that destroys the HOUSE BUILT ON SAND cleanses and
waters the HOUSE BUILT ON THE ROCK.”
“The same SHAKING THAT EXPOSES the weakness of HUMAN SYSTEMS
reveals the STRENGTH OF THE KINGDOM. The same crisis that drives
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the worldly to (7) DESPAIR DRIVES THE RIGHTEOUS TO THEIR KNEES.
And there they find what they should have sought all along.”
“I see businessmen who (5) NEVER HAD TIME FOR ME, now reading MY
WORD. I (5) SEE CELEBRITIES WHO MOCKED RIGHTEOUSNESS, now
crying out for mercy. I SEE (5) SCIENTISTS WHO DENIED THE
SUPERNATURAL, now praying desperate prayers.”
“The veil is being torn away. The illusions are being shattered. The
hypnotic spell of the age is being broken by the HAMMER OF MY
LOVING DISCIPLINE. This is not punishment. This is INVITATION. This is
not rejection. This is PURSUIT.”
“The hound of heaven is cornering his prey with calamity because you
would not listen to comfort. THE GOOD SHEPHERD is using THE ROD OF
AFFLICTION to drive you back to the fold, because you would not
respond to my voice.”
“The DIVINE PHYSICIAN is applying the BURNING MEDICINE OF CRISIS
to heal the GANG GREEN OF APOSTASY. I WOUND THAT I MAY. I BREAK
THAT I MAY RESTORE. I SLAY THAT I MAY MAKE ALIVE. This is the SEVERE
MERCY OF A GOD who loves you too much to leave you in your selfdestruction.”
“This crisis will be your Damascus road. The light (5) WILL BREAK
THROUGH YOUR REBELLION. The voice will speak from heaven and YOU
WILL BE CONVERTED in the midst of the storm. For others, this will be
your final warning. The last TUG ON YOUR HEART before the DOOR OF
MERCY closes forever.”
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“For the righteous, this will be your REFINING FIRE, BURNING AWAY the
dross, PURIFYING YOUR FAITH, preparing you for GREATER GLORY. The
same sun that melts wax, hardens clay, and the same crisis that softens
some hearts (5) WILL HARDEN OTHERS BEYOND REPENTANCE.”
“The question is not why I AM SENDING THE CRISIS. The question is, (7)
WHAT WILL THE CRISIS PRODUCE IN YOU? If your spirit is wrestling with
these TRUTHS, you feel the HOLY SURGERY OF MY WORD cutting
between SOUL AND SPIRIT, PURIFY ME, LORD.”
“Let the angels record YOUR SURRENDER. Let heaven mark this
moment as YOUR AWAKENING. I WILL (7) USE THIS CRISIS TO PREPARE
MY BRIDE for the GREATEST AWAKENING IN HISTORY”
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“Position yourself, not just to survive, but to REIGN IN THE MIDST OF IT
ALL. The shaking has PURPOSE. The pain has MEANING. The night will
give way to GLORIOUS DAWN. But only for those who UNDERSTAND
WHAT I AM REALLY DOING.”
“MY BELOVED, LEAN IN CLOSE. Let these words sink deep into YOUR
SPIRIT. For what I AM ABOUT TO DECLARE is the unshakable promise of
heaven (7) FOR EVERY BLOOD BOUGHT CHILD OF GOD. THE SAME GOD
WHO WALKED with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery
furnace. I HAVE NOT CHANGED.”
“THE SAME GOD WHO KEPT Noah safe while the world drowned in
judgment. I AM STILL ON THE THRONE. THE SAME GOD WHO
PROTECTED Israel while plagues devastated Egypt. MY COVENANT
STILL STANDS.”
“The Bible thunders in Psalm 91:7. A thousand may fall at your side and
10,000 at your right hand, but it shall not approach you, nor evil will
befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. This is not some
poetic metaphor.”
“This is the LEGAL CONTRACT OF THE KINGDOM, SIGNED IN THE BLOOD
OF JESUS, SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and delivered (7) TO EVERY
BELIEVER WHO DARES TO BELIEVE. I SEE THE FEAR IN MANY HEARTS.
THE ANXIETY (7) ABOUT WHAT IS COMING UPON THE EARTH. BUT
LISTEN TO ME.”
“DIVINE PROTECTION does not mean you will be evacuated from the
battle. It means you will be EMPOWERED IN THE MIDST OF IT. Noah felt
the waves rock the ark, but the ark held. Daniel heard the lion's roar,
but the lion's mouths were shut. The Hebrew children felt the heat of
the furnace, but the fire had no power over them.”
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“Your testimony will not be that you avoided the storm, but that (7) YOU
WITNESSED THE SUPERNATURAL PRESERVATION OF GOD, while the
storm raged around you. There will be SUPERMARKETS WITH EMPTY
SHELVES, but your bread will come from heaven like mana in the
wilderness.”
“There will be BANKS WITH CLOSED DOORS, but your financial supply
will come through ravens like Elijah by the brook. There will be
HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED, but your healing (7) WILL COME BY THE
STRIPES OF JESUS when the MEDICAL SYSTEM FAILS.”
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“This protection is not automatic. It is (7) CONDITIONAL UPON ABIDING
IN THE SECRET PLACE. The psalmist didn't say a thousand may fall for
everyone. He said it for THOSE WHO (7) DWELL IN THE SHELTER OF THE
MOST-HIGH.”
“This is not a blanket promise for cultural Christians who only honor me
with their lips. This is (7) FOR THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THE LORD (7)
THEIR REFUGE, THEIR FORTRESS, THEIR DWELLING PLACE.”
“I SEE two homes side by side in the coming crisis. One filled with PANIC
AND DESPAIR, the other filled with SUPERNATURAL PEACE. Two families
facing the same shortage, one hoarding in fear, the other SHARING
FROM DIVINE MULTIPLICATION.”
“Two businesses facing economic collapse. One crumbling under debt,
the other experiencing SUPERNATURAL FAVOR. The difference won't be
their intelligence or preparation. The difference will be JESUS’ (7)
BLOOD ON THE DOORPOSTS OF THEIR LIVES.”
“The difference will be THE ANGELIC OF GOD posted around the
dwellings. The difference will be THE COVENANT they have entered into
through THE LAMB OF GOD. But hear me carefully. This protection is
not just physical.”
“The greatest danger is not the collapse of economies or the failure of
systems. The greatest danger (5) IS THE SHIPWRECK OF FAITH. The
enemy doesn't just (5) WANT TO HARM YOUR BODY. HE WANTS TO (5)
DESTROY YOUR TRUST IN ME.”
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“That's why the psalm says, "No evil will befall you." The evil here is (5)
RAH, MEANING THE ULTIMATE EVIL (5) OF BEING SEPARATED FROM ME.
You may lose your job, but you won't lose YOUR JOY. You may face bad
luck, but you won't lose YOUR FAITH. You may witness terrifying things,
but you won't lose YOUR PEACE.”
“THE PROMISE is that through it all, your CONNECTION TO THE VINE
will remain unbroken. YOUR ANCHOR WILL HOLD. YOUR FOUNDATION
WILL STAND. I SEE A (7) REVELATION COMING TO THE BODY OF CHRIST.
A fresh understanding of what (7) IT MEANS TO BE HIDDEN IN CHRIST.”
“This isn't about storing cans of food while neglecting prayer. This isn't
about preparing for disaster while living in disobedience. This is about
(7) SO ABIDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD (7) THAT YOU BECOME
UNTOUCHABLE TO THE ENEMY.”
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“Your home may be humble, but it becomes a FORTRESS OF ANGELIC
ACTIVITY. Your bank account may be small, but it becomes a conduit for
MIRACULOUS PROVISION. Your body may be weak, but it becomes a
TEMPLE OF (7) THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT SICKNESS CANNOT INHABIT.”
“This is THE SOVEREIGN PROTECTION OF GOD that confounds the
wisdom of the world and TERRIFIES THE FORCES OF DARKNESS. And if
your SPIRIT IS RISING IN FAITH right now, if you can feel the reality of
this COVENANT PROMISE. I (7) AM PROTECTED BY THE BLOOD OF
JESUS. Let hell hear your declaration. Let heaven record your claim and
prepare yourself.”
“I AM REVEALING TO YOU the specific SPIRITUAL WEAPONS I HAVE
GIVEN YOU. To appropriate this protection and the dangerous
misconceptions that could leave you vulnerable, despite THE PROMISE.
The storm is coming, but so is THE GLORY.”
“And those who understand their COVENANT RIGHTS will not just
survive, but THEY WILL THRIVE in the midst of the (7) GREATEST
SHAKING THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. MY BELOVED, DO NOT BE
DECEIVED by a grace that requires nothing of you.”
“Do not be seduced by a gospel that promises protection without
PREPARATION. THE SAME GOD who swore to be YOUR SHIELD AND
FORTRESS also commanded you (7) TO PREPARE YOUR HEARTS UNTO
THE LORD.”
“The Bible thunders in Proverbs 22:3. “The prudent sees the evil and
hides himself, but the naive go on and are punished for it.” This is not a
suggestion. It is a DIVINE IMPERATIVE.”
“Noah didn't just pray for salvation from the flood. He built an ark for
120 years while the world mocked. Joseph didn't just dream of coming
famine. He stored grain during seven years of abundance. The wise
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virgins didn't just hope the bridegroom would come. They filled their
lamps with oil.”
“And you, oh you who hear the thunder of APPROACHING JUDGMENT,
what are you doing with THE WARNING I AM SOUNDING? I SPEAK WITH
(7) MY HOLY URGENCY BURNING IN YOUR BONES. SPIRITUAL
PREPARATION is not a secondary matter.”
“It is the foundation of everything. You cannot store enough food to
feed a soul starving for righteousness. You cannot stockpile enough
water to quench a spirit parched from prayerlessness. The first and
GREATEST PREPARATION IS REPENTANCE.”
“Tear down (5) EVERY IDOL IN YOUR LIFE. That career you worship, that
relationship you prioritize above me, that secret sin you coddle in the
dark. Surrender every stronghold, that bitterness you've nursed for
years, that pride that refuses to bow, that self-sufficiency that trusts in
human wisdom above DIVINE REVELATION.”
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“ALIGN EVERY PRIORITY WITH MY WORD. Let your schedule REFLECT
ETERNITY. Let your spending reflect KINGDOM VALUES. Let your
relationships reflect BIBLICAL HOLINESS. Let your relationships reflect
BIBLICAL HOLINESS. This is not legalism. This IS LOVE (7) RESPONDING
TO THE WARNING OF HER BELOVED.”
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“But listen, do not spiritualize what I HAVE HAS PRACTICALIZED. FAITH
WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. THE SAME GOD who provided mana from
heaven also commanded Joseph to store grain. THE SAME JESUS who
multiplied loaves and fishes also instructed his disciples to gather the
fragments.”
“I SEE A (5) DANGEROUS DECEPTION IN THE CHURCH. People claiming
faith while ignoring wisdom. They quote God will provide while
swimming in debt. They proclaim divine protection while living in
disobedience. They declare supernatural health while abusing their
bodies.”
“This is not faith. This is presumption. This is not trust. THIS IS TESTING
GOD. The PRUDENT SAINT reduces debt not because they trust in
money but because they want to be FREE TO FOLLOW MY DIRECTION
without financial entanglement.”
“A WISE BELIEVER stores necessities, not because they fear starvation
but because they want to be in a position to feed others when crisis hits.
The PREPARED CHRISTIAN develops community, not because they lack
faith in God but because they understand THE BODY OF CHRIST is
designed to function together.”
“I SEE two groups in the coming days. Those who prepared and those
who presumed. Those who stored oil and those who expected to
borrow. Those who built arks and those who thought they could tread
water.”
“And the difference won't be intelligence. It will be OBEDIENCE. The
same storm that reveals THE WISDOM OF THE PREPARED will expose
the folly of the presumptuous. But here is what grieves my spirit.”
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“Many are preparing their pantries while neglecting their prayer
closets. Many are storing food while starving their spirits. Many are
securing their homes while leaving their souls unguarded. This is not
preparation. This is religious materialism.”
“TRUE PREPARATION begins on your knees, with tears of repentance,
with fervent intercession, with passionate seeking of my face. Then and
only then does it move to practical action under (7) THE DIRECT
GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
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“I reveal something terrifying. People who had years of food storage
but no INTIMACY WITH ME. When crisis hit, they guarded their cans
with guns while their children starved spiritually. Others who had little
physically, but much spiritually, became CONDUITS OF MIRACLE
PROVISION. THEIR LITTLE OIL NEVER RAN OUT. Their handful of meal
never failed.”
“The GREATEST PREPARATION is not what you have in your basement.
(7) IT'S WHO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEART. Not what you've stored on
shelves, but what you've stored (7) IN YOUR SPIRIT THROUGH PRAYER
AND WORD. Yet, and HEAR ME CAREFULLY, if I LEAD YOU to store
practical provisions and you disobey because you spiritualize laziness,
you will answer for that disobedience.”
“(7) HOLY SPIRIT-LED PREPARATION IS FAITH IN ACTION. It is Abraham
gathering woods for the sacrifice before he saw the lamb. It is David
picking up five smooth stones before he faced Goliath. It is the widow
gathering vessels before the oil multiplied.”
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“The (7) HOUR IS LATE, THE STORM IS NEAR. But there is still time for
those who will (7) ACT IMMEDIATELY ON WHAT I AM SAYING. (7) MY
BELOVED, THE WORD HAS BEEN RELEASED. The warning has been
sounded. But now THE SPIRIT OF GOD is asking you the most important
question you will ever answer. What will you do?”
“This is not a time for passive listening, for casual consideration, for
half-hearted response. The Bible roars in Isaiah 41:10. Do not fear, for I
AM WITH YOU. Do not be dismayed, for I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL
STRENGTHEN YOU. I WILL HELP YOU. I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY
RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.”
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“This is not a gentle suggestion. IT IS A (7) COMMAND FROM THE
THRONE ROOM OF HEAVEN. Your response in this hour will determine
whether you become a victim of the storm or a VICTOR THROUGH THE
STORM. Your reaction to this warning WILL SHAPE (7) YOUR ETERNITY
AND IMPACT GENERATIONS TO COME.”
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“A FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST burning in your bones. First, do not fear.
But this is not a superficial don't worry like the world gives. This is a
RADICAL SUPERNATURAL BLOOD BOUGHT CONFIDENCE that comes (7)
FROM KNOWING THE CHARACTER OF YOUR GOD.”
“When the news reports scream collapse, when the experts predict
doom, when your circumstances shout impossibility, your spirit must
rise up and declare, "IT IS WRITTEN." Your confidence is not in
government stabilizing, not in economies recovering, not in science
saving you.”
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“Your confidence is in THE (7) I AM WHO SPOKE CREATION INTO
EXISTENCE. THE SAME GOD who parted the Red Sea, who raised Lazarus
from decay, who conquered death itself. I AM YOUR GOD. I AM IS NOT
WATCHING FROM A DISTANCE. I AM WITH YOU IN THE FIRE, IN THE
FLOOD, IN THE FAMINE. MY PRESENCE IS YOUR PEACE. MY PROMISE IS
YOUR ASSURANCE. MY POWER IS YOUR PROTECTION.”
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“This FEARLESS CONFIDENCE does not come automatically. It comes
through (7) VIOLENT APPROPRIATION OF THE PROMISES OF GOD. It
comes through tearing down every fearful thought that exalts itself
against THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. It comes through saturating your
mind with scripture until his word becomes more real to you than the
chaos around you.”
“Those who feed on fear and those who FEAST ON FAITH. Those who
consume news reports more than they CONSUME THE BREAD OF LIFE
will be filled with anxiety. Those who meditate on problems more than
they MEDITATE ON PROMISES will be overcome by despair.”
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“But those who lock themselves in THE SECRET PLACE, who IMMERSE
THEMSELVES IN THE WORD, who COMMUNE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
until MY PRESENCE BECOMES THEIR REALITY. They will walk in a
SUPERNATURAL PEACE that confounds human understanding. They will
SLEEP SOUNDLY while storms rage. They WILL REJOICE while others
panic. They WILL TESTIFY while others tremble.”
“PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. But this is not casual religious prayer. This is
violent, kingdom shaking, demon terrifying intercession. This is prayer
that STORMS THE GATES OF HELL and demands the PURPOSES OF
HEAVEN. This is prayer that TAKES HOLD OF GOD'S WORD and refuses
to let go until it is fulfilled.”
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“I SEE a WAVE OF INTERCESSION rising across the earth. Prayer that will
SHIFT ATMOSPHERES, CHANGE GOVERNMENTS, AND RELEASE DIVINE
INTERVENTION. You must pray for your lost family members as if their
souls depend on it because they do. Pray for your unprepared neighbors
with tears and travail. Pray for misguided leaders with compassion and
authority Pray for THE BODY OF CHRIST to awaken and arise. Pray for
DIVINE STRATEGIES to navigate the coming days. Pray for ANGELIC
PROTECTION over your household. Pray for SUPERNATURAL PROVISION
in scarcity. Pray for MIRACULOUS HEALING in sickness. Pray until
heaven invades earth. Pray until the impossible bows to THE NAME OF
JESUS.”
“Many are praying religious prayers without expectation. They pray
because they feel obligated, not because they expect answers. This is
not true prayer. This is religious activity. True prayer comes from
revelation of who (7) I AM AND WHAT I HAVE PROMISED.”
“It comes from HOLY DESPERATION that will not take no for an answer.
It comes from (7) INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON that know
your heart and prays it back to him.”
“I SEE INTERCESSORS ARISING who pray with such authority that
DEMONS FLEE, who pray with such faith that MOUNTAINS MOVE, who
pray with such persistence that BREAKTHROUGHS MANIFEST. Your
PRAYER CLOSET must become your COMMAND CENTER. The place
where you receive DIVINE INTELLIGENCE, where you WAGE SPIRITUAL
WARFARE, where you SECURE VICTORY before the battle even
manifests in the natural.”
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“SHINE BRIGHTER. But this is not about being a nice person. This is
about MANIFESTING THE GLORY OF GOD in such contrast to the
darkness that sinners are convicted and SAINTS ARE ENCOURAGED. In
the coming days, your PEACE amid panic will PREACH louder than
sermons. Your GENEROSITY amid scarcity will TESTIFY louder than
theology. Your HOPE amid despair will confound the wisdom of this
age.”
“The world is about to see a DEMONSTRATION OF MY KINGDOM that
cannot be ignored. When others hoard, you will SHARE. When others
curse, you will BLESS. When others despair, you will REJOICE. Your life
will become a LIVING EPISTLE read by men and angels. Your home will
become a LIGHT HOUSE in the storm. Your workplace will become a
MISSION FIELD of divine encounter.”
“But this shining is not automatic. It comes from ABIDING IN THE VINE
so intimately that the (7) LIFE OF CHRIST FLOWS THROUGH YOU
EFFORTLESSLY. It comes from being so FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
that HIS FRUIT MANIFESTS NATURALLY. It comes from having your
CHARACTER SO REFINED BY FIRE that THE IMAGE OF JESUS is visible in
your actions. I see a GLORIOUS CHURCH ARISING, not perfect but
PURIFIED”
“Not sinless but SINCERE, not boasting in their own strength, but
RADIATING MY GRACE. They will LOVE the unlovable, FORGIVE the
unforgivable, and BELIEVE for the impossible. Their very PRESENCE will
bring CONVICTION to sinners and COURAGE TO SAINTS. They will walk
in such AUTHORITY that diseases flee, demons tremble, and
circumstances bow to THE NAME OF JESUS.”
“If your spirit is burning with HOLY URGENCY, if you're ready to embrace
this prophetic response. I will not fear. I will pray. I will shine. Let hell
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hear your resolution. Let heaven record your commitment and prepare
yourself.”
“OVERCOME THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE (7) LAMB AND THE WORD
OF YOUR TESTIMONY. The battle is intensifying, but so is the GLORY. And
those who respond correctly will not just endure, but they will emerge
as (7) GLORIOUS CHAMPIONS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”
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OFFICIALS DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY AS
WORSENING CRISIS DEVASTATES CROPS: 'WILL
BE VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT'
Some of Russia's most productive farming regions are experiencing a
severe decline in crop yields.
What's happening?
According to pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia, via The Moscow Times, parts of
southern Russia could lose up to 25% of their crops because of drought.
The news outlets reported a substantial drop in production in the Rostov
and Krasnodar regions, citing a farmers' association. The losses could
total as much as 2.8 million tons of grains, cereals, and legumes.
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Last year, the areas lost about 5,530 pounds of crops per acre, and this
year, they've lost around 4,100 pounds per acre.
Within these two regions, 30 districts were in an official state of
emergency as of the Moscow Times report in late July. The extreme
dryness was impacting corn, wheat, barley, legumes, and sunflowers
mostly. Rostov's governor, Yuri Slyusar, reduced the agricultural output
forecast by 3 million tons.
Konstantin Yurov, the farming association's deputy chairman, told
Izvestia that some of these crops "will be virtually nonexistent" in areas
most affected by the drought.
Why are these crops important?
Despite the drop in production, the Russian food supply remained
secure, per The Moscow Times report. This was mainly attributed to
successful crop production in the Central, Volga, and North Caucasus
areas. However, there was concern about the nation's grain and crop
exports.
According to the outlet, Georgy Ostapkovich of Moscow's Higher School
of Economics said: "The agricultural sector must always be prepared for
changes in production and export, given its high sensitivity to weather
conditions."
Extreme weather poses a massive threat to the world's crops. Extreme
heat, long droughts, and wildfires are a few examples that can wipe out
whole farms. This threatens the global food supply, endangers farmers'
livelihoods, and weakens national economies.
Consumer prices can rise and business profits drop, creating instability.
Everyone feels the effects of this crop loss, from grocery shoppers to
business owners.
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Plants and animals feel it, too. When crops are wiped out, it can cause
soil degradation, water pollution, and nutrient runoff. This disrupts
habitats and ecosystems, which can harm essential wildlife, such
as pollinators. And every creature plays a role in maintaining healthy
biodiversity on Earth.
What's being done to save the Russian farms?
The Moscow Times reported that Sergei Lisovsky, deputy chairman of the
Duma's Safeguarding Competition Committee, said: "The ministry needs
to immediately take on support measures to stabilize the situation and
prevent bankruptcies in the agricultural industry."
Lawmakers have proposed federal agricultural subsidies to save farms
that are in critical danger. And government leaders support the
proposals.
Intensified extreme weather is a symptom of rising temperatures and
pollution. Using less energy, avoiding plastic products, and learning
about other critical climate issues can help slow the rise in global
temperatures, potentially helping to safeguard world food supplies.
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EXPERTS ISSUE DIRE WARNING AS WORSENING CRISIS
COULD DEAL MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR BLOW TO AGRICULTURE
INDUSTRY: 'THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED'
Agricultural losses from extreme weather could deal Spain, Italy, and the
rest of the EU a major economic blow, according to Fruit Today.
What's happening?
Fruit Today shared financial estimates released in a Howden report. It
predicted that the EU could lose 60 billion euros from increasingly
extreme weather, with Spain and Italy standing to lose up to 20 billion.
It also shared that as much as 90 billion euros in agricultural losses by
2050 could be plausible. However, Spain and Italy would bear the brunt
of the damage.
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Fruit Today noted that farmers are uniquely vulnerable to the changing
climate; their jobs rely on environmental stability. Last May, for
instance, severe hailstorms in Spain wiped out all of Murcia's stone fruit
crops.
Why do these agricultural losses matter?
Extreme weather is the culprit here, and it's not slowing down anytime
soon. So long as humans continue to pollute the atmosphere, ocean and
air temperatures will continue to warm, altering normal weather
patterns and making natural disasters that much worse, per NASA.
The climate is changing faster than plants can evolve to keep up.
Widespread crop loss and damage set off a domino effect that can be felt
in almost every corner of life — namely, grocery prices.
In Japan, grocery prices have skyrocketed; a five-kilogram bag of rice is
over 80% more expensive than it was just last year. Meanwhile, staples
like corn have risen over 90% in Nigeria. And lest we forget the threat to
farmers' livelihoods.
What's being done about it?
Howden conducted the report in part to raise awareness for this pressing
issue. In light of its findings, Manuel García, the technical director of
Howden Cataluña, called for more agricultural support. "This must be
addressed from a structural perspective, supported by predictable
solutions and cooperation between the public and private sectors,"
he told Fruit Today.
If you'd like to address this on an individual level, try shopping smarter at
the grocery store. Apps like Flashfood can help you be more economical.
Taking small actions every day to mitigate rising global temperatures,
such as recycling, shopping secondhand, and consuming more plantbased
foods, can help create a safer future.
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GLOBAL DROUGHT CRISIS PUSHES TENS OF MILLIONS
TOWARDS STARVATION, WARNS UN-BACKED REPORT
A deepening global drought crisis is pushing more than 90mn people to
the brink of starvation, with mounting impacts on food, water and energy
systems, according to a report released on July 1 by the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification, the International Drought Resilience Alliance,
and the US National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), The
Guardian reports.
The study warns that climate breakdown, water mismanagement, and
rising global temperatures are driving a “slow-moving catastrophe” with
widespread economic and humanitarian consequences.
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In eastern and southern Africa, record-breaking droughts have led to
crop failures, livestock deaths and mass displacement. In Somalia, a
quarter of the population faces acute hunger, while Zimbabwe’s corn
production fell 70% in 2023, with 9,000 cattle lost.
“This is not a dry spell. This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the
worst I’ve ever seen,” Mark Svoboda, director of the NDMC and coauthor
of the report, told The Guardian. One-sixth of southern Africa’s
population was already in need of food aid as of August last year.
In Latin America, drought has drastically reduced water levels in the
Panama Canal, cutting shipping traffic by over one-third and pushing up
global trade costs. In Morocco, six consecutive years of drought led to a
57% water deficit by early 2024. In Spain, olive production fell by 50%,
doubling prices. Meanwhile in Turkey, land degradation has left 88% of
the country at risk of desertification, and aquifer depletion has triggered
the formation of sinkholes. Svoboda described the Mediterranean region
as the “canaries in the coalmine for all modern economies.”
The report also outlines how El Niño weather conditions in 2023–2024
worsened an already fragile global water system. Heatwaves and reduced
precipitation caused water shortages, crop failures and power rationing
in multiple regions. The drought has disrupted global supply chains for
key commodities such as rice, coffee and sugar. Drought in Thailand and
India, for instance, pushed sugar prices in the US up 9% in 2023–2024.
Demand for fresh water is forecast to outstrip supply by 40% by the end
of this decade, with over half the world’s food production at risk within
25 years.
Drought is now a “silent killer” according to the report. It is here, and it
is escalating.
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FARMER RAISES RED FLAGS AS EXTREME HEAT WIPES OUT
KEY CROP: 'WE ARE LOOKING AT ... MAKING A LOSS ON IT'
One English wheat farmer is concerned that the extreme heat and dry
spell England has been experiencing will result in significant crop losses
this year, the BBC reported.
What's happening?
Will Dickinson, a wheat farmer from Hertfordshire, England, has revealed
that he expects a crop loss of approximately 10% to 25% this year, the
BBC reported. His wheat crops are usually green by this time of the
growing season. However, most have turned yellow due to extreme heat
and lack of rain.
Dickinson expects most of these crops to become shriveled by the time
of harvest later this year.
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Crop losses increase the cost of production for farmers, making it harder
for them to stay profitable.
According to commodity data provided by Markets Insider, wheat prices
have fallen by 9.2% between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, and may
continue to fall with increased crop losses.
"We are looking at this moment at growing this crop and making a loss
on it," Dickinson said, per BBC.
Wheat is becoming an unprofitable crop to grow, and farmers like
Dickinson may stop growing wheat to cut their losses. Farmers around
the world in Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, Canada, and more are
similarly facing the threat of failed crops due to brutal weather patterns.
Why is extreme heat concerning?
The overheating of the planet isn't just uncomfortable for humans and
wildlife; it's impacting the land that farmers rely on to grow crops that
sustain our food supply.
Erratic weather patterns — like dry spells and extreme heat followed
by heavy rain and storm surges — make it difficult for newly planted
crops to establish a deep root system to support the crop during the
growing season.
The lack of precipitation dries out the soil and leads to increased water
runoff. This means that, when it does rain, the hardened soil allows the
water to run off instead of absorbing it. Without enough water, the crops
will wither and die, leading to increased crop failure.
The increased cost of production is passed on to consumers as inflated
food prices at the grocery store.
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What can I do to help?
There's a large disconnect between the farmers who grow our food and
their produce being stocked at the local grocery store. Farmers like
Dickinson do their best to adapt to changing weather patterns, but they
may still incur crop losses.
Supporting local and sustainably grown produce helps keep farms like
Dickinson's alive and gives them a better chance of weathering
unsuccessful growing seasons.
Joining Community Supported Agriculture also helps bridge that gap
between farmers and consumers, allowing consumers to pay an upfront
fee for the farm's harvest in exchange for weekly or monthly fresh
produce. To not let the hard work of farmers go to waste, buy and
consume only what you will eat, and help reduce global food waste.
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'THIS IS GOING TO END US': FLORIDA GROWERS WARN
TRUMP HE'S 'KILLING FARMING'
The inability of Florida farmers to find Americans willing to work to fill
jobs abandoned by immigrants fearful of being taken into custody has
some of them stating they will have to cut back on future plantings out
of fear of going out of business.
According to a report from NPR, those farmers have suffered losses of
almost half their seasonal workers and can’t afford to replace them with
H2A visa workers as has been suggested by Donald Trump administration
officials.
NPR’s Jasmine Garsd is reporting that despite pleas from farmers to grant
amnesty to farm workers, the Trump administration is resisting, with
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins telling them, “Ultimately, the answer
to this is automation. And then also when you think about it, there are
34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program. There are plenty
of workers in America.” According to the report, “Farmers NPR spoke to
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called this idea ludicrous. Many said they are paying well above the
minimum wage, and yet they have gotten few American-born job
applicants.”
John Walt Boatright, director of government affairs at the American Farm
Bureau, agreed and explained, “The interest and the willingness to work
on farms has not been there. It hasn't been there for a long time." One
strawberry farmer claimed the loss of manpower, due to the immigrant
round-ups, is crippling his ability to make a living.
"The government is killing farming. This is going to end us,” he lamented
before adding, "I'm drastically cutting down production next year to 35%
of what I usually do." Jeb Smith, president of the Florida Farm Bureau
Federation agreed and stated consumers should be alarmed. "I think the
American consumer ought to be concerned about food being a national
security issue. Any time that there is a threat to not getting a safe,
affordable and abundant food supply, it should be concerning to the
American public. We do not want to be dependent on foreign countries
for our food. That could be a very devastating reality,” he stated before
warning, “That is a dangerous thing to dabble with."
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PARALLELS TO THE 1930S: US TRADE POLICY
COULD TRIGGER GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
Findings from the 1930s show what can happen when countries go it
alone when it comes to trade and exchange-rate policy. In 1930, the US
introduced protectionist tariffs. Its trading partners responded with
extensive retaliatory measures, and trade flows collapsed, contributing
to the severity of the Great Depression. Countries did not stop there,
however, choosing also to weaponize their currencies, and triggering a
currency war and wholesale abandonment of the international financial
system, according to a recent Kiel Policy Brief.
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US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that "trade wars are
good and easy to win". However, the historical perspective suggests the
opposite: "Our analyses of the 'mother of all trade wars' - the one that
the US started in 1930 with the adoption of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff -
show that it was not only harmful for the US, but for all economies
worldwide," says Kirsten Wandschneider, Kiel Institute Fellow and coauthor
of the Kiel Policy Brief "Trade Wars and Currency Wars - Lessons
from History". The analysis is based on a new quarterly panel data set on
bilateral trade flows in the years 1925 to 1938 for 99 countries, colonies
and country groups. It contains more than 108,000 observations and
covers the majority of world trade at that time.
Key American export goods were hit the hardest
The US Tariff Act of 1930 began with the goal of helping distressed
farmers and then expanded into a rewrite of US tariff law. America's
major trading partners responded to the aggressive tariffs with their own
levies, import restrictions and boycotts of American goods. As a result,
US exports to countries that took retaliatory measures fell by up to 33
percent. However, US exports to countries that had only threatened
retaliatory measures also fell by up to 22 percent. The decline was
particularly pronounced for the most important American export
products in terms of value, such as cars and agricultural products.
Trade and currency wars go hand in hand
Many countries also reacted to the global economic crisis by abandoning
the global monetary system, the international gold standard. Between
1929 and 1936, more than 70 countries devalued their currencies against
gold. In the face of this global currency war, international trade continued
to decline. According to analyses, one country's trade fell by more than
21 percent after a devaluation. "US President Trump has recently
expressed the idea of strategically weakening the US dollar on several
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occasions. It is conceivable that countries today could also resort to
devaluations if the trade war intensifies and global economic output
falls," says Kris James Mitchener, Kiel Institute Fellow and co-author of
the Kiel Policy Brief.
Europe can fill a global leadership vacuum
With the current tariff policy, President Trump has given up control of the
global trading system, and the current US trade policy signals a departure
from its 80-year leadership role since World War II, the authors say. "To
avoid the mistakes of the 1930s, EUROPE MUST FILL THE GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP VACUUM LEFT BY THE US," says Mitchener. "Europe should
signal that the euro is stable and a safe haven for investors, as China is
also aggressively promoting the renminbi as an international trading,
lending and reserve currency in the face of the turmoil on global markets
caused by Trump."
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“My beloved, the winds of change are blowing with a ferocity this world
has never seen. Can you feel it in the atmosphere? That tension, that
uncertainty, that looming shadow just beyond the horizon.”
The Bible declares in Matthew 24:6-7, "You will hear of wars and rumors
of wars. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.
THERE WILL BE FAMINES and earthquakes IN VARIOUS PLACES. But oh,
THE SPIRIT (7) OF GOD HAS UNVEILED SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC,
MORE IMMINENT, (7) MORE TERRIFYING THAN ANYTHING WE'VE
WITNESSED BEFORE.”
ANOTHER GLOBAL CRISIS IS COMING. One that will make previous
pandemics (7) AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSES LOOK LIKE MERE
REHEARSALS. (7) YET HEAR ME CLEARLY, CHILDREN OF GOD. While the
world panics, while governments falter, while systems crumble, the
Almighty has sworn to protect his own.
“Before I proceed, if you are reading this, it is no accident. Divine
providence has guided you here. Do not scroll away. Do not let the
enemy distract you from this warning. God is speaking to you.”
"I trust you, Lord." I'm about to reveal will either save your life or leave
you unprepared for the storm that approaches. My beloved, open your
spiritual ears. Can you hear it? That low ominous rumble in the
distance, like thunder rolling across the horizon of history.”
“The world hears nothing but the cacophony of its own destructions.
The endless scroll of social media, the hollow laughter of empty
entertainment, the seductive whisper of materialism promising
satisfaction it can never deliver. But you, you who have been awakened
by the spirit of God,”
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AFRICA FACING ESCALATING HUNGER CRISIS – UN
60% of those chronically undernourished by 2030 will be on
the continent
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The UN has warned of a worsening hunger crisis in Africa, with its latest
estimates on FOOD INSECURITY suggesting that more than 1 BILLION
PEOPLE, or roughly two-thirds (66.6%) of the continent’s population,
were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024.
*******
And power was given to them over A FOURTH OF THE EARTH, TO KILL
with sword, WITH HUNGER, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
*******
The organization announced the findings in its State of Food Security and
Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report released on Monday. Compiled
by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World
Food Program (WFP), and WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO), IT
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ANALYZED GLOBAL TRENDS IN EFFORTS TO END HUNGER, FOOD
INSECURITY, AND MALNUTRITION.
According to the report, an estimated 8.2% of the global population, or
about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5%
in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022, in contrast to the RISING HUNGER LEVELS
RECORDED IN MOST OF AFRICA AND WESTERN ASIA.
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“The proportion of the population facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20
percent in 2024, affecting 307 million people,” it stated. Projections
indicate that nearly 60% of those who could be chronically
undernourished by 2030 will be in Africa.
A key concern is the rising number of people unable to afford a healthy
diet, with Africa’s figure increasing from 864 million in 2019 to over 1
billion in 2024, while the global total dropped from 2.76 billion to 2.6
billion.
“HUNGER REMAINS AT ALARMING LEVELS, YET THE FUNDING NEEDED
TO TACKLE IT IS FALLING… THIS YEAR, FUNDING CUTS OF UP TO 40
PERCENT MEAN THAT TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL LOSE THE
VITAL LIFELINE WE PROVIDE,” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain
said. McCain cautioned that the failure to deliver essential aid to people
in “desperate need” could undo hard-won progress and trigger further
instability in volatile regions.
Last week, the WFP said it required $130 million to maintain aid
operations in Nigeria, where over 30 million people are facing acute
hunger. FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said
AFRICA’S “CONCERNING” SITUATION IS DRIVEN BY INADEQUATE
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, POPULATION GROWTH, VIOLENT
CONFLICT, AND CLIMATE CHANGE SETBACKS.
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FARMERS SOUND OFF ON DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF
HARSH DROUGHT: 'IT'S QUITE A SAD TIME'
Droughts, alongside other serious weather events, can be seen around
the world, and are often being heightened by the increasing temperature
of the planet caused by human pollution. In Yorkshire, England, droughts
are having a particularly damaging effect on farmers.
What's happening?
The BBC spoke to a handful of farmers in the region, including Angela
Serin, who runs Beetle Bank Farm. While Angela usually produces her
own hay to help offset the cost of feeding her animals, this year's crop
was a fraction of what the farm usually gets.
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"It's about to get a lot more expensive I suspect, so we could be in for a
rough ride," Serino told the BBC. "It's quite a sad time because we collect
animals as we go and keep hold of our favourite ones and that might not
be possible for the future."
Other farmers reported that more dry weather was limiting grass growth,
another key component of many farm animals' diets. Plus, some farmers
are already suspecting autumnal crops like pumpkins will likely yield
significantly less than in previous years.
Why is the Yorkshire drought concerning?
While droughts in one area cannot collapse the entire food chain,
Yorkshire is not alone. Droughts in Seattle, Wash., have caused major
cutbacks to the area's farming season. Meanwhile, across Africa, food
insecurity is directly correlated to droughts, with 90 million individuals
facing starvation as catastrophic weather events continue to occur.
Although isolated and even fairly damaging natural disasters have always
happened, rising global temperatures supercharge them. This means
that while storms, floods, or droughts may occur anyway, the increased
heat makes them more likely and more devastating.
What's being done for the impacted farmers?
Environment Secretary Steve Reed told the BBC the government is
working to make necessary changes and accommodations for farmers in
the wake of the drought. "We are slashing costs and red tape for food
producers to export to the E.U.," he said.
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FARMERS DEVASTATED AS EXTREME WEATHER IMPACTS
HARVEST: 'A DISASTER YEAR'
Turkish farmers are experiencing diminished crop yields because
of extreme weather events, according to Türkiye Today.
What's happening?
Drought and high temperatures have decreased yields by up to 85%.
June marked the fourth-hottest month on record in the country in the
past 55 years. Sunflower crops are suffering from low rainfall and dry
conditions. This follows a period of harsh frost that stifled fruit and
cereal growth in spring. The Turkish Statistical Institute estimated a 4.1%
decline of those crops, which include wheat and barley. The ongoing
drought has exacerbated the strain on cereals.
Türkiye Agricultural Chambers Union President Şemsi Bayraktar called for
the state-run Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperative to postpone
debt collection for farmers. Bayraktar suggested growers should get a
yearlong, interest-free deferment because of the climate-induced
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shortages, according to Türkiye Today. "In terms of agriculture, 2025 has
already become a disaster year for our country," Bayraktar said.
Why is extreme weather in Turkey important?
Turkey is one of the top 10 agricultural economies in the world, according
to the International Trade Administration. As extreme weather has made
crop yields more unpredictable, the global food supply becomes more
uncertain.
This has also put nearly a quarter of the country's workforce at risk. As
Bayraktar indicated, climate-induced crop decreases hurt the livelihoods
of growers, which may lead to a need for debt relief options to soften the
blow. When there are smaller harvests, consumers feel it. These poor
growing seasons lead to shortages and high costs at grocery stores.
What's being done about extreme weather in Turkey?
In addition to delayed debt collection, Bayraktar suggested that the
Turkish government provide assistance to farmers affected by drought
and frost.
As the agricultural sector faces these challenges, scientists have been
finding ways to make crops more resilient. One team has been looking
into ways to genetically modify plants to endure harsher weather.
Another team based in Turkey has invented crop-boosting
technology called Plantzma that may help growers in the future.
Individuals can help mitigate the effects of the overheating planet
by decreasing their pollution, which contributes to heat-trapping
gases in the atmosphere. People can start by educating themselves
on critical climate issues.
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WHO AND KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID & RELIEF
CENTRE EXPAND LIFE-SAVING HEALTH INTERVENTIONS WITH
NEW AGREEMENTS AT RIYADH HUMANITARIAN FORUM
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Riyadh 25 February 2025 – THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
AND THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTRE
(KSRELIEF) AGREED A SERIES OF NEW PLEDGES to deliver life-saving
health interventions for people threatened by cholera and malaria in
Yemen, health services for Sudanese who have fled conflict in their
country to neighbouring Egypt, and support polio eradication efforts in
countries where the virus continues to circulate. The agreements were
signed during the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, being
held 24-25 February.
The Forum brings together partners from across the humanitarian
system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people
affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.
“WHO GREATLY VALUES OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH KSRELIEF AND THE
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, WHICH IS HELPING PROVIDE CRITICAL
HEALTH SUPPORT TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IMPACTED BY WAR, DISEASE
AND DISPLACEMENT,” SAID DR TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS,
WHO DIRECTOR-GENERAL. “The immense scale of humanitarian
suffering around the world requires sustained support from the
international community. For 10 years now, KSrelief has exemplified this.
We must not forget, though, that THE BEST MEDICINE, FOR ALL
AFFECTED BY CONFLICTS, IS PEACE.”
WHO’s Country Office for Yemen and KSrelief finalized two pledges: a
US$12 million agreement focusing on malaria prevention and control,
and a further US$2.1 million to support an existing agreement to expand
cholera response and control measures, and improve access to
treatment in affected and high-risk areas.
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KSrelief signed another agreement, of US$3.6 million, with WHO Egypt
to provide dialysis treatment for Sudanese sheltering in Egypt after
fleeing the conflict in their country, which has led to the world’s largest
displacement crisis.
“KSRELIEF HAS BEEN AN INVALUABLE PARTNER FOR WHO, supporting
millions in Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, and beyond.
OUR REGION HAS BEEN HARD HIT BY SOME OF THE WORLD’S WORST
HUMANITARIAN CRISES, AND I WELCOME THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI
ARABIA’S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING HEALTH BEYOND ITS
BORDERS.
This year, we are also signing a crucial agreement for polio eradication,
as we remain the last region in the world where wild poliovirus persists,”
said WHO Regional Director Dr. Hanan Balkhy.
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA REAFFIRMED ITS US$500 MILLION
PLEDGE to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) at the forum on
Monday. The funds will be immediately disbursed to accelerate efforts to
eliminate wild polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan and contain variant polio
outbreaks.
THE RIYADH INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN FORUM IS A BIENNIAL
EVENT ORGANISED BY KSRELIEF IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA. THIS YEAR’S
FORUM WAS HELD TO COINCIDE WITH THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF
KSRELIEF AND FEATURED HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON CONFLICT,
DISASTER RESPONSE, HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERY, AND FORCED
DISPLACEMENT AMID ESCALATING GLOBAL CRISES.
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MBS MAKES ‘PACT’ WITH THE UNITED NATIONS
https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2018/04/03/520627658
6450993900/640x360_MP4_5206276586450993900.mp4
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SAUDI CHARITY EFFORTS REACH MILLIONS GLOBALLY
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia highlighted its humanitarian efforts worldwide as it
marked International Day of Charity, a UN initiative promoting social
responsibility, volunteering, and the role of charitable institutions in
providing aid and supporting communities.
The National Center for Non-Profit Sector plays a key role in regulating
and supervising the sector, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
It aims to support the sector’s operations and help achieve goals aligned
with SAUDI VISION 2030, including increasing the nonprofit sector’s
contribution to the national economy to 5 percent and raising the
number of volunteers to 1 million by 2030.
Charitable work is a pillar of social solidarity, and the Kingdom has
contributed to humanitarian efforts worldwide, the SPA reported.
Saudi charitable organizations provide diverse services, from healthcare
and housing assistance to vocational training programs that help young
people become self-reliant, reflecting the sector’s reach across the
Kingdom.
The UN General Assembly in 2012 designated Sept. 5 as International Day
of Charity to raise awareness and encourage participation in charitable
activities.
Marking the day, Saudi aid agency KSrelief highlighted the Kingdom’s
humanitarian work. Since 1975, Saudi Arabia has provided more than
$141 billion in aid, funding 8,134 projects in 174 countries.
In the past decade, KSrelief has implemented 3,632 projects in 108
countries, worth more than $8.15 billion.
These projects have assisted millions of people in countries including
Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Somalia, according to the report.
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Recent efforts in the Gaza Strip included delivering more than 7,500 tons
of aid and 20 ambulances via air and sea.
The Sahem electronic donation platform has also raised more than
SR1.61 billion ($430 million), reflecting public trust in the agency.
KSrelief has received several international awards, and the Kingdom
initiated the UN designation of Nov. 24 as World Conjoined Twins Day.
These efforts align with SAUDI VISION 2030 to promote a (5) MORE
EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE.
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SAUDI ARABIA ADVOCATES FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION TO
END HUNGER, ENSURE FOOD SECURITY
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Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour
bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti speaking at the "A World Without Hunger”
conference in Addis Ababa. (SPA)
RIYADH: THE KINGDOM SEES AGRICULTURE AS A CORNERSTONE FOR
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORTING
ECONOMIC GROWTH, Saudi Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and
Agriculture Mansour bin Hilal Al-Mushaiti said this week.
Al-Mushaiti led the Saudi delegation to the three-day “A World Without
Hunger” conference that began on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the
Saudi Press Agency reported.
During his conference speech, Al-Mushaiti said that agriculture also
played a key role in job creation and prosperity for local communities.
This came through THE STRENGTHENING OF FARMER SUPPORT
SYSTEMS AND THE PROMOTION OF MODERN AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES TO INCREASE PRODUCTION AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY,
ULTIMATELY ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY.
“THE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE IN SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND
MODERN TECHNOLOGIES HAS CONTRIBUTED TO ADDRESSING MANY
URGENT GLOBAL FOOD CHALLENGES,” Al-Mushaiti said. “However, the
advancement achieved in ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY remains
insufficient. This underscores the crucial importance of INTENSIFYING
GLOBAL EFFORTS AND ACTIVATING POLICIES TO DEVELOP PRACTICAL
AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS.”
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The deputy minister said that DIRECT FOOD AID AND HUMANITARIAN
RELIEF EFFORTS had played a key role in PROVIDING SHORT-TERM
SOLUTIONS TO FOOD INSECURITY in many countries. He said that the
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center had implemented about
900 FOOD SECURITY PROJECTS IN 78 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE,
REFLECTING THE KINGDOM’S HUMANITARIAN ROLE AND SUPPORT FOR
PEOPLES FACING SEVERE CONDITIONS.
Al-Mushaiti said that boosting investment in the agriculture and food
sectors had become PARAMOUNT TO BUILDING A WORLD FREE OF
HUNGER. This could be achieved through adopting innovation and
modern farming techniques, as well as providing flexible financing
solutions to increase production and build resilience in agricultural and
food systems.
“THE KINGDOM WELCOMES AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS IN ALL
FIELDS AND OFFERS INCENTIVES AND SUPPORT FOR INVESTORS
GLOBALLY,” Al-Mushaaiti said. “We seek to expand agricultural
investment in countries with competitive advantages, abundant natural
resources and growing markets, to leverage integrated agricultural
capabilities and create more job opportunities toward ACHIEVING FOOD
SECURITY.”
Al-Mushaaiti stressed the need to STRENGTHEN MULTILATERAL
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH GLOBAL
ORGANIZATIONS, in addition to promoting fair trade in line with WTO
standards. This, he said, would contribute to BUILDING A WORLD FREE
OF HUNGER, alongside other essential steps such as exchanging best
agricultural practices and technologies, expanding access to innovative
financing, and enhancing infrastructure and SOCIAL SAFETY NET
PROGRAMS.
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Al-Mushaiti said that the Kingdom had taken several steps in this
direction. This included launching programs and initiatives such as the
Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Program, which contributed
to increasing the income of small-scale farmers and improving their living
standards, and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority
“Monsha’at” Authority to support micro, small and medium enterprises
in the sector, through financing, training and job opportunities, and other
ambitious projects and programs that worked to support the agricultural
sector and ACTIVATE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO ACHIEVING FOOD
SECURITY.
The “A World Without Hunger” conference was organized by the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization, the African Union
Commission and the Ethiopian government, with the participation of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, to discuss topics related to
the agriculture, food production and technology sectors, as well as FOOD
SECURITY, finance, food safety, infrastructure and more.
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KSRELIEF DELIVERS AID IN ASIA, AFRICA
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief is continuing its efforts to help the
underprivileged around the world.
The agency this week distributed 1,525 food baskets to displaced families
in Gezira State, Sudan. A total of 7,850 individuals benefited from this
assistance, as part of the third phase of the 2025 Food Security Support
Project in Sudan. Some 3,900 food baskets were distributed to
vulnerable, flood-affected communities in several districts across
Pakistan, helping 27,094 individuals.
A total of 206 food baskets were delivered in Nangarhar Province,
Afghanistan. The aid benefited 1,236 Afghan returnees from Pakistan, as
part of the 2025-2026 Food Security and Emergency Project in
Afghanistan.The aid comes within the framework of the relief and
humanitarian projects provided by Saudi Arabia through KSrelief, which
aims to alleviate the suffering of people in need worldwide.
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SAUDI ARABIA’S HUMANITARIAN REACH
EXPANDS WORLDWIDE
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And
all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all
fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have
taken us away.
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Saudi Arabia observed World Humanitarian Day, Aug. 19, by
HIGHLIGHTING MILESTONES IN ITS CHARITABLE EFFORTS ABROAD.
(SPA)
KSrelief reports $141 billion in support to 173 countries, from disaster
relief to medical breakthroughs. Among THE KINGDOM’S NOTABLE
HUMANITARIAN ACHIEVEMENTS is its program for separating conjoined
twins
RIYADH: SAUDI ARABIA OBSERVED WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY, AUG.
19, BY HIGHLIGHTING MILESTONES IN ITS CHARITABLE EFFORTS
ABROAD. THROUGH ITS HUMANITARIAN ARM, KSRELIEF, the kingdom
has provided $141 billion in aid through 7,983 initiatives in 173 countries,
according to a Saudi press agency report.
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Dr. Samer Al-Jutaili, KSrelief’s official spokesperson, told Arab News:
“UNDER THE KINGDOM'S VISION 2030, WE AFFIRM THAT OUR WORK IS
FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING DEVELOPMENT, AS THE KINGDOM PROMOTES
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORTS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS TO HELP
INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES, CONTRIBUTING TO A MORE
SUSTAINABLE AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR ALL.”
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Since its establishment on May 13, 2015, KSRELIEF HAS DEMONSTRATED
SAUDI ARABIA’S COMMITMENT TO HUMANITARIAN WORK ABROAD,
OPERATING WITH TRANSPARENCY AND NEUTRALITY. IT HAS CARRIED
OUT 3,612 RELIEF PROJECTS IN 108 COUNTRIES, WORTH MORE THAN
$8.141 BILLION.
In response to the Palestinian crisis, KSrelief established air and sea
bridges that delivered more than 7,180 tonnes of FOOD, MEDICAL, AND
SHELTER SUPPLIES via 58 aircraft and 8 ships.
The agency also provided 20 ambulances to the Palestinian Red Crescent
Society and signed agreements for $90.35 million in relief projects in
Gaza. Airdrops, conducted in collaboration with Jordan, ensured aid
reached areas affected by border closures.
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For the Syrian Arab Republic, KSrelief established air and land relief
bridges delivering essential food, shelter, and medical aid. KSrelief also
launched the Saudi Voluntary Program for Syrians, featuring 104
volunteer campaigns in medical, educational, and economic
empowerment and training. More than 3,000 men and women from the
Kingdom contributed 218,500 volunteer hours in more than 45
specialties.
Among the Kingdom’s notable humanitarian achievements is its program
for separating conjoined twins, which has gained regional and global
recognition by successfully performing 66 pro bono surgeries and
studying 150 cases from 27 countries.
At Saudi Arabia’s initiative, the UN designated Nov. 24 as the
International Day for Conjoined Twins to raise awareness and celebrate
achievements in this medical specialty. The agency’s Project Masam has
cleared more than 500,000 landmines in Yemen, saving countless civilian
lives. Its prosthetic limbs program has provided thousands with advanced
prosthetics and rehabilitation services.
Another initiative has rehabilitated 530 Yemeni child soldiers while
providing psychological and social support to 60,000 of their family
members. To increase local involvement, KSrelief launched a volunteer
portal with more than 80,000 participants. Through this platform, it has
carried out nearly 991 programs in 55 COUNTRIES, benefiting more than
2 million people, including 236,000 free surgeries in numerous medical
specialties.
Sahem, Saudi Arabia’s official electronic donation platform, has raised
more than $1.605 billion from 8.46 million donors, supporting the
agency’s programs and enabling aid for vulnerable populations
worldwide.
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AID DROPS IN GAZA AS UN WARNS OF STARVATION
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/aid-drops-in-gaza-as-un-warns-of-starvation/vi-
AA1KOkjB
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CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING TEMPERATURES DEADLIER,
FOOD LESS RELIABLE, EXPERTS WARN
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A drone view shows people carrying food and water delivered by the civil
defense to the isolated villages at the dry Lake Puraquequara during the
most intense and widespread drought Brazil has experienced since
records began in 1950 in San Francisco do Maina in Manaus, Amazonas
state, Brazil, October 1, 2024. (Reuters)
Climate change, is raising temperatures to dangerous new heights, while
also worsening drought and food security, a new report by doctors and
health experts warned on Tuesday. The record temperatures of 2023 —
the hottest year on record — meant the average person experienced 50
more days of dangerous temperatures than they would have without
climate change, according to the Lancet Countdown, an annual report
based on work by dozens of experts, academic institutions, and UN
agencies, including the World Health Organization.
Especially vulnerable are the elderly, with the number of heat-related
deaths in people over 65 last year reaching a level 167 percent above the
number of such deaths in the 1990s. Without climate change,
researchers would have expected that number to rise by 65 percent from
the 1990s, the report said.
“Year on year, the deaths directly associated with climate change are
increasing,” said Marina Belén Romanello, executive director of the
Lancet Countdown. “But heat is also affecting not just the mortality and
increasing deaths, but also increasing the diseases and the pathologies
associated with heat exposure,” she said.
For example, people who exercise outdoors are increasingly at risk, she
said. Companies are facing limited capacity for working outdoors. In fact,
last year’s extreme heat cost the world an estimated 512 billion potential
labor hours, worth hundreds of billions of dollars in potential income, the
report said.
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“Similar to what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is key workers
who tend to be most exposed and unable to shield as easily during
heatwaves, such as those working in one of our many hospitals without
air conditioning, or outdoor construction workers,” said data scientist
Nathan Cheetham at King’s College London in a statement. Cheetham
was not involved in the study.
Climate change is also making food more unreliable, the authors warned.
With up to 48 percent of the world’s land area facing extreme drought
conditions last year, the researchers said, about 151 million more people
would be experiencing food insecurity as a result, compared with the
years 1981-2010.
Extreme rainfall last year also affected roughly 60 percent of lands,
unleashing floods and raising risks from water contamination or
infectious disease. The study’s authors urged the upcoming UN climate
summit, COP29, to direct climate finance toward public health. The
COP29 talks begin Nov. 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan. UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on countries to “cure the sickness of
climate inaction” by slashing fossil fuel use and emissions in order “to
create a fairer, safer, and healthier future for all.”
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HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS EXACERBATING FOOD INSECURITY,
WITH DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES FOR IMPORT-RELIANT
MIDDLE EAST
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RIYADH: Global food insecurity is far worse than previously thought. That
is the conclusion of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
2024 report published this week by a coalition of UN entities, which
found that efforts to tackle undernourishment had suffered serious
setbacks.
As countries across the world fall significantly short of achieving the
second UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL OF “ZERO HUNGER” BY
2030, the report notes that climate change is increasingly recognized as
a pivotal factor exacerbating HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4nnp-wOVrY

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIMzBZhVvvs

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CLIMATE EXTREMES, GLOBAL FOOD PRICE SPIKES, AND THEIR
WIDER KNOCK-ON (CASCADING) SOCIETAL RISKS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5tcSUmnGuc
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HISTORIC DROUGHT, WHEAT SHORTAGE TO TEST SYRIA
DUBAI (Reuters) -Syria faces a potential food crisis after the worst
drought in 36 years slashed wheat production by around 40%, squeezing
the country's cash-strapped government, which has been unable to
secure large-scale purchases.
Around three million Syrians could face severe hunger, the United
Nations' World Food Programme told Reuters in written answers to
questions, without giving a timeframe.
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Over half of the population of about 25.6 million is currently food
insecure, it added.
In a June report, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization estimated
that Syria faced a wheat shortfall of 2.73 million metric tons this year, or
enough to feed around 16 million people for a year.
The situation poses a challenge to President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose
government is seeking to rebuild Syria after a 14-year civil war that saw
the toppling of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
Wheat is Syria's most important crop and supports a state-subsidised
bread programme - a vital part of everyday life.
Yet Sharaa's government has been slow to mobilise international support
for big grain purchases.
Reuters spoke to a Syrian official, three traders, three aid workers and
two industry sources with direct knowledge of wheat procurement
efforts, who said more imports and financing were needed to alleviate
the impending shortage.
The new government has only purchased 373,500 tons of wheat from
local farmers this season, the Syrian government official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity. That is around half of last year's volume.
The government needs to import around 2.55 million tons this year, the
source added.
So far, however, Damascus has not announced any major wheat import
deals and is relying on small private shipments amounting to around
200,000 tons in total through direct contracts with local importers, the
two industry sources said, also declining to be named due to the
sensitivity of the matter.
The ministry of information did not respond to a request for comment.
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"Half of the population is threatened to suffer from the drought,
especially when it comes to the availability of bread, which is the most
important food during the crisis," Toni Ettel, FAO's representative in Syria,
told Reuters.
So far, Syria has received only limited emergency aid, including 220,000
tons of wheat from Iraq and 500 tons of flour from Ukraine.
'THE WORST YEAR'
While Syria consumes around four million tons of wheat annually,
domestic production is expected to fall to around 1.2 million tons this
year, down 40% from last year, according to FAO figures.
"This has been the worst year ever since I started farming," said Nazih
Altarsha, whose family has owned six hectares of land in Homs
governorate since 1960.
Abbas Othman, a wheat farmer from Qamishli, part of Syria's
breadbasket region in northeast Hasaka province, didn't harvest a single
grain.
"We planted 100 donums (six hectares) and we harvested nothing," he
told Reuters.
Only 40% of farmland was cultivated this season, much of which has now
been ruined, particularly in key food-producing areas like Hassakeh,
Aleppo, and Homs, the FAO said.
Local farmers were encouraged to sell what they salvaged from their crop
to the government at $450 a ton, around $200 per ton above the market
price as an incentive, the official source said.
"In a good year I can sell the government around 25 tons from my six
hectares but this year I only managed to sell eight tons," said Altarsha,
the Homs farmer.
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"The rest I had to just feed to my livestock as it wasn't suitable for human
consumption," he said, hoping for better rains in December when the
new planting season begins.
Before the civil war, Syria produced up to four million tons of wheat in
good years and exported around one million of that.
U.S. POLICY SHIFT
In a major U.S. policy shift in May, President Donald Trump said he would
lift sanctions on Syria that risked holding back its economic recovery.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates Syria will need to import a
record 2.15 million tons of wheat in 2025/26, up 53% from last year,
according to the department's database.
Still, Syria's main grain buying agency is yet to announce a new
purchasing strategy. The agency did not respond to Reuters questions
over the issue.
Wheat imports also face payment delays due to financial difficulties
despite the lifting of sanctions, according to two sources with direct
knowledge of the matter.
Food was not restricted by Western sanctions on Assad's Syria, but
banking restrictions and asset freezes made it difficult for most trading
houses to do business with Damascus.
Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter and a staunch supporter of
Assad, had been a steady supplier but to a large extent has suspended
supplies since December over payment delays and uncertainty about the
new government, sources told Reuters following Assad's ouster.
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FARMERS ISSUE WARNING AS EXTREME CONDITIONS
DEVASTATE KEY CROPS: 'THIS YEAR'S HARVEST MAY BE
WORSE THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS'
Farmers in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, have
issued a warning of widespread crop failures as prolonged drought
threatens harvests in the region, pushing communities toward hunger.
What's happening?
The drought is impacting fields across Abara, Opari, Moli Tokuro, and
parts of Greater Pageri, regions that typically supply food to markets in
Torit and the South Sudan capital of Juba. Without enough rain, farmers
are witnessing their crops fail in real time.
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Farmer Sam George told outlet Radio Tamazuj that the drought has
withered crops, raising fears of food shortages in the country, particularly
for crucial maize crops.
"The seeds aren't germinating well. The maize leaves are tiny because of
larvae, and we can't plant again—the land is too dry," George said. "Food
prices are already rising daily. Many people might flee to Uganda to
escape hunger."
With rain scarce and no irrigation support, farmers cannot replant critical
crops. As a result, prices for basic food staples are climbing, a trend that
is worsening across the region.
Why are these conditions important?
Crop failures have left families dependent on wild food, with nothing
sprouting due to the drought and heavy winds. "Children and women are
suffering," said Rose Kiriba, a farmer in Pageri. "The government must
intervene with food aid."
While drought has long threatened agriculture in the region, increasing
global temperatures, driven by human activity, are making the situation
worse. Erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry periods, increased
evaporation, and degraded soil from deforestation are shrinking crop
yields and threatening livelihoods.
This overheating of our planet is causing grocery prices to increase both
locally and globally, disrupting ecosystems and food chains that we all
rely on.
And this isn't isolated to South Sudan; countries such
as Cambodia, Ireland, and Morocco are also experiencing supply
instability and rising grocery costs as weather extremes disrupt farming.
It's a global crisis, and it's already hitting home for many.
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What's being done about these conditions?
Farming activities continue, but the outlook is dire.
"This year's harvest may be worse than in previous years," said Magwi
County Commissioner Benjamin Olum Pole Pole. He urged farmers to
plant drought-resistant crops such as cassava and sorghum while
discouraging farmers from selling existing food stocks until they assess
the harvest.
Globally, we can all help by being smarter about the way we shop.
Planning meals, avoiding food waste, and supporting sustainable
brands can stretch your grocery budget and reduce waste, keeping more
food out of landfills and money in your pocket.
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FARMERS CONSIDER ABANDONING DROUGHT-
HIT REGION IN CENTRAL HUNGARY
LADANYBENE, Hungary, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Farmers in southern Hungary's
key agricultural area are grappling with increasingly severe drought as
climate change cuts crop yields and reduces groundwater levels, with
some considering relocating or alternative employment. The vast
flatland, situated between the Tisza and the Danube rivers, produces
corn, grain, and sunflower seed, but scientists warn that rising
temperatures and insufficient rainfall are threatening its agricultural
viability.
The Hungarian meteorological service said on Thursday that soil in
central Hungary remains "critically dry" despite recent rains, with
summer crops severely affected. Krisztian Kisjuhasz, a beekeeper in
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Ladanybene would normally move his bees home to his farm at the end
of the honey-producing season in July, and start preparing them for the
winter.
This year, however, he packed up his bees in the middle of the night,
wearing a headlamp with red light to move them to a flood zone of the
Tisza river, more than 80 kilometers from his home to ensure they have
access to pollen. "Last year 30% of our bees died mainly because there
was not enough pollen due to the drought ... they were not strong
enough for the winter," he said, adding that the costs of commuting to
tend to his bees will force him to raise honey prices.
Kisjuhasz, whose farm has been in his family for five generations, is now
contemplating selling it and moving to a less dry area. "There is no future
for beekeeping in the Homokhátság," he said. In May, the government
launched a project worth about 5 billion forints ($14.29 million) to clean
canals and focus on water retention to combat drought.
However, the government cannot completely protect the country from
the drought, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with
website baon.hu last month. "We are doing everything we can, but even
these efforts will only be sufficient to alleviate the damage caused by
drought," he said.
Csaba Toldi, a farmer in Jaszszentlaszlo, said his grasslands produced a
loss this year for the first time due to the drought and he is seeking
alternative work. Water needs to be returned to the Homokhatsag
region, either through channels or water retention, Toldi says, otherwise
"this area will completely dry out."
($1 = 350.0000 forints) In 2022, a droughtcaused 1000 billion forints
($2.86 billion) of losses for the agricultural sector and contributed to a
rise in Hungarian inflation to two-decade highs.
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RUSSIA FACING FOOD SHORTAGES –PUTIN’S SOLUTION
COULD MAKE THINGS EVEN WORSE, EXPERTS SAY
What is happening?
Economists are warning that Russia may soon face severe food shortages
and an economic meltdown reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s final years.
With inflation soaring and the government preparing to impose price
controls, parallels to past crises are becoming harder to ignore.
Inflation hits Russian households hard
Annual inflation in Russia reached nearly 9.5%, with food prices climbing
even higher.
Kremlin turns to price controls — again
In an effort to contain inflation, the Russian government plans to cap the
prices of staple foods like vegetables, poultry, and dairy starting next
March.
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While intended to protect consumers, critics argue the move could
backfire, triggering supply issues and economic distortion.
Echoes of the Soviet Union’s economic collapse
Experts say the Kremlin’s pivot toward price regulation bears an
uncomfortable resemblance to the Soviet-era command economy.
That system famously led to widespread shortages, endless queues, and
declining productivity — outcomes some fear may soon return.
A return to command-style planning?
Speaking to the Kiyv Independent, Russian economist Igor Lipsits
describes the shift as a move toward a “fully planned, command-style
system,” warning that it brings with it all the classic pitfalls: food
shortages, rationing, and public frustration.
“That’s what lies ahead for Russians,” he said.
Up to 90% of food prices could be state-controlled©Shutterstock.com
According to Russian media outlet Kommersant, as much as 80% to 90%
of food production may soon fall under government-mandated price
controls.
Many producers are reportedly unhappy with the plans — and some are
already looking for ways to sidestep them.
Price caps won’t solve deeper imbalances
Lipsits argues that capping prices doesn’t address the root problem: a
mismatch between agricultural output and population needs.
Without state subsidies, he warns, producers could go bankrupt,
worsening the crisis and reducing food availability even further.
Shortages could arrive sooner than expected©Shutterstock.com
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Oleksandr Talavera, a professor at the University of Birmingham, warns
that food shortages could hit “even in the short term.”
He noted that when the government intervenes in pricing, goods tend to
vanish — a dynamic all too familiar to those who remember Soviet times.
Russian public growing increasingly anxious
A June poll by the Levada Center showed that nearly 60% of Russians
view rising prices as their biggest concern.
Putin faces pressure
Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, says food inflation is a “highly sensitive” issue for
the Kremlin.
As prices for staples like pork jump — with pork alone rising 7% in June
— the illusion that “everything is fine” is becoming harder to maintain.
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FARMERS DEVASTATED AS RECORD-BREAKING FLOODS WIPE
OUT KEY CROPS: 'IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME ABOUT THREE TO
FOUR YEARS TO RECOVER'
Record-breaking floods in Australia decimated sugar cane crops, putting
strain on farmers to pay for expensive repairs with significantly less
income.
What's happening?
In northern Queensland along the eastern coast, small towns and
farmlands were flooded with devastating rain earlier this year. Months
later, the area still hasn't recovered, according to the Australian
Broadcasting Corp. Most farmers have struggled with expensive shortterm
issues such as the destruction of their fields, cleaning up debris, and
water damage to their properties. The affected crops also won't bounce
back to full strength for some time, and production in the region will be
below average for several years.
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"I personally have about, I'd say, 2,000 tons I've lost," sugar cane farmer
Ian Kemp said, per ABC News. "It's going to take me about three to four
years to recover ... to pick those paddocks up and get them back to full
production again." Another farmer estimated that they will produce only
80,000 tons of sugar cane this year instead of their typical 120,000 tons,
which could be a difference in income of about 450,000 Australian
dollars.
Why is it concerning?
Severe weather events like this devastating flood are becoming all too
common because of the overheating of the planet and changing climate.
More intense floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes are happening
around the world, disrupting ecosystems and burdening those who live
in the affected areas. Costly damages, power outages, and even
displacement can be overwhelming to deal with in the wake of these
disasters.
When farmers are impacted, the ripple effects can reach
everyone. Ruined crops and abnormal harvest seasons lead to lost
income and less food for everyone to eat, which means more expensive
groceries and an unstable food supply.
What's being done about it?
The local government is providing flood relief funds to help the farmers
recover, but it's not working for everyone, according to ABC
News. Farmers shared that they have to pay for repairs themselves and
then make claims to be paid back. With unprecedented damages, the
cost to fix everything is so high that many can't afford the upfront
investment. "We're already out of pocket, and after such big floods, it's
just another hit to the small business owners," farmer Brian
Mombelli said.
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FARMERS RESORT TO EXTREME MEASURES AS UNEXPECTED
CONDITIONS THREATEN KEY CROPS:
'I CAN'T EVEN EAT IT ONCE THIS SUMMER'
One of the best things about summer is the variety of available fruit.
Melons, stone fruits, and berries all flourish in the warmer months. But
when heat waves hit at the top of the season, fruit crops can become
limited and cause "heatflation" — heat-related spikes in food prices.
What's happening?
An early heatwave in July in South Korea drove up prices for a variety of
popular produce: watermelons, napa cabbage, radishes, melons, and
peaches. Unfortunately, the extreme heat has caused damage to many
fruit crops, including what they call "melted watermelon," where the
flesh deteriorates from the heat. Some farmers have resorted to
wrapping the melons in paper to prevent sun damage.
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The sudden change in weather — from monsoon season to a heat
wave — has also increased the demand for produce, according to Fresh
Plaza. The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) has shared
that watermelons have been the most affected, with a 36.5% increase to
$22.60 per melon. Other melons were priced around $7.80, napa
cabbage at $3.35, radishes at $1.80, and white peaches at $18 for a 10-
pack.
Why is heatflation important?
Shoppers are upset over the inflated prices. One shopper in Seocho, Park
Mo (57), said, "The price of watermelon is so high that I can't even eat it
once this summer." Trends are also suggesting that the prices are likely
to increase further as the season progresses. A representative from Ajou
University said, "While weather is clearly a factor, it's time for the
government to consider long-term price management and supply
strategy reforms."
A portion of the South Korean government's $24.6 billion supplementary
budget might increase consumer demand; however, this could easily
inflate pricing simultaneously. Heatflation is a global issue. Global food
prices are on track to increase by close to 3% by 2035. The food prices in
the U.S. have already increased by 25% from 2019 to 2023, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
What can I do to avoid heatflation?
Weather disasters, after-effects of the pandemic, and carbon pollution
are all factors of price increases. While 80% of the world's global carbon
pollution is from only 57 dirty energy companies, there is plenty of action
we can take within our own communities. Shopping with a meal plan,
purchasing directly from local farmers, and growing your own
produce can help out your local fruit pricing
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FARMERS WARN OF WORST EVER HARVEST IN LATEST BLOW
Farmers have warned that this year could be their worst ever harvest
after a summer of drought.
Heatwaves across parts of the country have left growers fearing a recordlow
yield for their crop and vegetable harvest.
Broccoli farmers are particularly vulnerable, with one grower warning
shoppers to expect smaller vegetables on shelves and higher prices.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, an independent think tank, also
warned that farmers would “stop farming” unless better provisions were
put in place.
The summer drought comes at a difficult time for farmers, who are
already battling Rachel Reeves’ inheritance tax raid.
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A record number of farms have closed this year after the Chancellor
announced in October that she would cut the amount of inheritance tax
relief available to family farms.
It also comes alongside increased employers’ National Insurance
contributions and the raising of the minimum wage.
Ben Andrews, who runs a mixed organic farm growing broccoli near
Leominster, Herefordshire, said his crops were struggling and called for
more Government support.
“It’s quite a bit smaller than we’d expect it to be at this point,” he said of
the broccoli head to the BBC.
“The heads should be a lot bigger than they are. Consumers might have
to shift their expectations; be that the choice, size or shape of what
they’re buying, or even the price of what’s on offer.
“I’ve been getting pretty stressed out just worrying. It’s starting to
become a risk that we can’t really afford to keep taking every year.”
The British Growers Association said this summer was “proving to be yet
another climatic challenge for growers”, although struggles in some parts
of the country were being mitigated by harvesting of crops in areas less
affected by drought.
Jack Ward, the association’s chief executive, said: “In some areas,
supplies of summer brassicas, cauliflowers and cabbages are tight.
“Other root crops, carrots and onions, have been kept going by the use
of irrigation, but there are serious concerns about water supplies if the
lack of rain continues.
“At this stage, we are confident that the crops will be there, but the
weather events of the last three months highlight the increasing
uncertainty around our food supplies.”
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Martin Williams, an arable farmer who also runs a farm in Herefordshire,
said his yield had been slashed by “absolutely devastatingly dry”
conditions.
“I don’t remember a year as dry as this and I was around in 1976 but I
was very young,” he said.
“This year has been quite a knock for income on this farm. I’m glad of the
diversified income to compensate for it.”
These sentiments were echoed by Jeremy Clarkson, who warned of
a “catastrophic” harvest earlier this month.
The former Top Gear host, who now runs the Oxfordshire Diddly Squat
farm, has shed light on the difficulties faced by the agricultural industry
since the release of his Amazon hit series in 2021.
Jamie Burrows, an arable and sheep farmer in Hertfordshire and Norfolk,
said the drought was creating the “perfect storm” of problems for
farmers.
Mr Burrows, 42, who is also the National Farmers Union (NFU)
combinable crops board chairman, told the Telegraph: “We’ve lost so
much support from the Government. It’s so challenging and really hard
to be exposed to it.
“We farmers always say we can battle against mother nature, but when
you have the Government and global pricing also battling against you it
makes the perfect storm. It’s really hard to mitigate for all three at the
same time.”
He said there needed to be a “re-evaluation” on the economics of
farming, having been forced to diversify his farms with separate
businesses like a riding school.
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“I’m not sure we should be diversifying to stay in business making food,”
he said. “To be doing something as primary as producing food it should
be the building block, rather than being supported by everything else we
do.”
The extreme dry weather marks the latest blow to hit the farming
industry alongside Labour’s inheritance tax raid.
Currently, family farms do not incur inheritance tax, receiving full relief
on the usual 40 per cent rate. Under the changes introduced by Ms
Reeves, which take effect from April 2026, inheritance tax will be charged
at a rate of 20 per cent, above a threshold of £1m.
Farmers have objected that their businesses are typically cash-poor and
low-margin, meaning they will be forced to sell chunks of their land to
settle the bill.
Other farmers have told The Telegraph that the impending increase has
opened a “suicide window” for elderly business owners, who worry they
will impose a financial burden on their children and grandchildren by
staying alive beyond April next year.
Ms Reeves’s tax change, which alongside a similar reduction in the relief
for family businesses is set to raise up to £520m a year for the Exchequer,
caused an immediate backlash with Clarkson leading farmers driving
tractors into central London to protest outside Parliament.
Data from the Office for National Statistics last month showed a total of
6,365 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses have closed this year,
the highest since quarterly data was first published in 2017.
Greg Smith, the shadow business minister, said: “Yields have been very
low this year, compounding the financial assault on our agricultural
businesses from the Labour Government.
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“Labour need to have a long hard look at their attitude to farmers and
come up with a whole new approach that actually supports our food
producers.”
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrats’ rural affairs spokesman, said: “This
year’s poor harvest is yet another hammer blow for Britain’s farmers,
who are already battling sky-high costs and crippling uncertainty. These
are the people who put food on our tables and protect our countryside,
yet Labour is treating them like an afterthought.
“Farmers need a fair break, not more burdens. The Government could
start by scrapping their unfair family farm tax, a reckless raid on the very
people who keep Britain fed, and increasing the farming budget by £1bn
a year to give farmers the support they desperately need.
“The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for British farmers. It’s time
to back them, not break them.”
Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said: “Farmers have been
ravaged by this Labour Government on the family farm tax and much
besides. Whilst they put up with variable weather, they cannot survive
this and relentless Government onslaughts against their businesses.”
Rachel Hallos, the NFU’s vice-president, said: “The increasing extreme
weather we are experiencing is impacting our ability to produce food and
will have substantial financial consequences on some farm businesses.
“Although parts of the country have seen some rainfall, and farmers are
no strangers to unpredictable weather, the extremes this year have been
unprecedented. Last year’s harvest was marked by heavy rain; this year,
it’s the lack of it. These fluctuations of drought and flood are becoming
more pronounced and more regular.
“Food security must be a national priority and that means [the]
Government supporting farmers and growers to build resilience.
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“Farmers and growers need investment in climate adaptation and
resilient crop varieties to safeguard our ability to feed the nation,
weather market volatility and adapt to a changing climate.
“We also need investment in water infrastructure across the wider
farming sector and planning reforms that allow us to better capture and
store in times of plenty for use when it’s needed.”
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CASCADING ISSUES DRIVING FOOD PRICES HIGHER: 'HARD, IF
NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO REVERSE'
Everyday items like coffee, beef, and bread are getting more expensive,
and one of the biggest reasons is drought.
What's happening?
According to The New York Times, drought is hitting farms around the
world, and it's shrinking the supply of everyday food items.
In Brazil, one of the world's biggest coffee producer, farms are facing their
worst drought in 40 years. Dry weather has also hit Vietnam, the secondlargest
coffee exporter. The result? Global coffee prices have soared.
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Why is this concerning?
It all adds up to one big problem: higher grocery bills. When crops
struggle, supply goes down and prices go up. So, this means that most
people feel it where it hurts most, at the checkout line.
Coffee, bread, meat, and cooking oils are becoming harder to afford,
especially for families already on tight budgets.
And it's not just about price. With more of the world's food coming from
just a few key regions, like Brazil for coffee or the Midwest for corn and
beef, any extreme weather can shake up the global food supply fast.
That's what experts mean by "cascading" problems: one issue sets off
another, and recovering gets harder every year.
And the thing with these problems is that they might not be something
that can be easily solved, but rather what we call "tipping points": big
shifts in the environment that are hard (or even impossible) to undo.
As The New York Times put it: Earth's warming could trigger "sweeping
changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to
reverse."
What's being done about it?
Some governments are stepping in. The U.S. has pledged over $1 billion
in relief for farmers hit by drought and wildfires. Other countries are
trying to adapt by planting more drought-resistant crops or tapping into
better irrigation systems.
And for everyday people like us, the best way to fight back is by
making smart choices at the grocery store. Planning ahead and trying to
shop local when possible can help you save money and also reduce strain
on the food system.
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RUSSIA EXPECTING THE GRAIN HARVEST TO TUMBLE BY
20MN TONNES AS GLOBAL WARMING PUSHES ITS FERTILE
GRAIN BELT NORTHWARDS
Russia is on course to see its grain harvest tumble by 20mn tonnes as its
grain belt bakes in a Climate Crisis heatwave and Global Warming shifts
its fertile grain belt northwards.
Russia’s Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) is projecting a
2025 grain harvest of around 130mn metric tonnes — roughly the same
as, or even slightly more than, in 2024, which came in at 126mn tonnes,
according to Rosstat. But that’s well down from all-time high peak yields
of recent years.
While no official tonnage has been released for the 2025/26 season, IKAR
has maintained its 2024/25 estimate at around 130mn metric tons,
suggesting a broadly stable trend barring major weather disruptions
during the upcoming sowing and wintering period, but tonnage has
already been hit by an exceptionally hot summer. In its latest public
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statements, IKAR said it expects grain export volumes in 2025/26 to
remain strong, supported by high international demand, stable logistics
via Black Sea ports, and competitive pricing due to the weak rouble – but
analysts are growing increasingly sceptical this goals will be
achieved. (chart)
The state has been pouring money into agriculture in recent years, both
for national security reasons and to make some extra money. Russian
President Vladimir Putin proudly reported anall-time record harvest of
153mn-155mn tonnes of grain in 2023, way more than enough to cover
the next planting season, meet domestic demand, and send some 50mn
tonnes overseas to export markets.
This year’s harvest will be down by some 20mn tonnes from that peak.
Given parts of Russia are now warming seven-times faster than the rest
of the world, it is not yet clear if this change is permanent, or a one off.
Scientists are warning of risingfood insecurity as a result of
the accelerating Climate Crisis, but it is not clear how badly this affects
Russia as the climate will make some frozen northern regions arable, like
those along the Chinese border.
Russia earned a whopping $42bn from grain exports in 2023, with wheat
accounting for half of that, making it one of Russia’s most valuable export
products. At $425bn, oil and gas still accounts for the lion’s share of
export revenues, followed by metals at $45bn, but grain has overtaken
arms exports ($13bn in 2023) to become the third largest item on the
docket.
Blistering heatwave
Russia’s two key wheat-producing regions have been sweltering in a
blistering heatwave, as Rostov suffers a second consecutive year of
drought while neighbouring Stavropol prepares for a potential record
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harvest. The divergence may see Stavropol overtake Rostov as the
country’s largest wheat-growing region, according to crop forecasts.
Rostov Governor Yuri Slyusar has warned that the region’s 2025 harvest
could fall by 20% from last year’s total of 10.1mn metric
tons, Reuters reports, marking the lowest output since 2015. A state of
agricultural emergency has been declared in ten districts, allowing the
regional administration to expedite state support and compensation to
affected farmers.
Seedlings have been affected by drought since last autumn and the
wheat is weak. This year, crops also suffered from a frost, and now the
drought is finishing it off, according to local reports.
Spring frosts were less severe than in previous years, but persistent
dryness has become the dominant threat, Reuters reports. Brief rainfall
in May was insufficient to restore moisture to the soil, leaving crops
vulnerable as harvesting begins this month.
Chertkov district has seen some of the most severe declines. Wheat
yields there dropped by 61% in 2024, to just 1.7 metric tons per
hectare—compared to about 3.4 tons per hectare in the United States.
Zolotaryov pointed to thin green shoots emerging from parched earth
and noted that stem growth was well below seasonal norms.
Yields tumbling
Grain productivity in places like Krasnodar Krai and the Rostov region
have fallen by about a quarter compared to 2024. Livestock producers in
the region are already discussing reductions to the cattle herd amid feed
shortages. Despite the decline, IKAR says that the reduced output will still
be sufficient to meet domestic needs, supply the next planting season
and support exports, albeit at reduced levels.
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The worst of the losses have been concentrated in key agricultural
regions such as Krasnodar Krai and the Rostov region – home to Russia’s
legendary black earth (chernozem) – due to severe drought. In some of
the most affected districts, including Kanevskoy, Pavlovsky and Yeysky,
yields have dropped to just 20–30 centners per hectare—two to three
times below the usual average. Wheat yields in the Kuban have dropped
from 64.7 to 48.8 centners per hectare. Barley is down 21%, while peas,
maize and sugar beet are also underperforming.
According to Konstantin Yurov, deputy chairman of the People’s Farmer
association, Krasnodar alone has lost 2.8mn tonnes of grain, amounting
to damages of RUB42bn ($510mn). Rostov’s losses are expected to be on
a similar scale. “Farmers in the Kuban and Don regions have missed out
on RUB70–80bn rubles,” Yurov told RBK, or between $855mn and
$978mn.
One of the effects of the rising temperatures has already been topush
the most fertile land northwards. Soil productivity is increasingly stronger
in areas such as Ryazan, Kursk and Tambov, which have not experienced
the same drought conditions.
Stavropol, situated just east of Rostov, has benefited from more
favourable weather in recent months. Local agronomists expect bumper
yields and a potential record wheat output in 2025, allowing Russia to
maintain its position as the world’s largest wheat exporter.
Compact Harvest
This summer’s drought is among the worst in decades. A state of
emergency has been declared in 37 districts across southern Russia, and
thousands of farms have reported severe crop failure.
On July 15, Dmitry Rylko, general director of IKAR, introduced the term
“compact harvest” in an interview with agricultural magazine Pole.rf,
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describing the situation in cautious terms. The phrase has since drawn
criticism online for downplaying the severity of the crisis. “What exactly
is a compact grain harvest supposed to mean?” one commenter asked.
“Like, ‘there’ll be nothing to eat, but keep your mouth shut’? And let’s
not even talk about quality,” Meduza reports.
A farmer in the Rostov region told Novye Izvestia that the language
reflected a predictable government response: “Poorly managing the
agricultural sector—and then scrambling to reframe the consequences.”
On July 15, Dmitry Rylko, the general director of Russia’s Institute for
Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR), introduced a new euphemism in an
interview with the agricultural magazine Pole.rf: “compact harvest.”
The term is the latest addition to a growing lexicon of state Doublespeak
aimed at recasting harsh realities in vague and gentler terms. Since the
start of the full-scale war, pro-government media and officials have
increasingly used phrases like “negative growth” instead of “decline,” or
“a loud bang” in place of “explosion,” Meduza reports.
Potato crisis
Grain is not the only agricultural product to be affected. Both Russia and
Belarus are suffering from a potato crisis that has seen prices for a kilo of
spuds triple in recent months.
The vegetable — consumed in Russia at some of the highest rates in the
world — has become 2.8 times more expensive over the past year,
Meduza reports. As of early May 2025, the average retail price for a
kilogram of potatoes reached an all-time high of over RUB85 a kilo, up
from RUB30 a kilo in May 2024, according to Rosstat. And prices are still
rising. And that’s just the national average: in some regions, shoppers
have been stunned to see prices as high as RUB200 per kilo.
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In general, food inflation in Russia has been volatile over the past two
years, driven by supply disruptions, the impact of Western sanctions, and
increasingly unstable weather patterns.
In 2023, food inflation averaged 3.9% over the year, according to Rosstat
– relatively moderate compared to the broader consumer price index
(CPI), which stood at 7.4% for that year, thanks to a strong harvest. In the
first half of 2024, food inflation accelerated sharply, reaching 8.2% yearon-year
in June 2024. The spike was driven by rising prices for vegetables,
dairy products, and especially potatoes.
President Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged the potato shortage,
while Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev admitted the government
“was too slow to implement measures to stabilise the food market.”
The vegetable — consumed in Russia at some of the highest rates in the
world — has become 2.8 times more expensive over the past
year, Meduza reports. As of early May 2025, the average retail price for a
kilogram of potatoes reached an all-time high of over RUB85 a kilo, up
from RUB30 a kilo in May 2024, according to Rosstat. And prices are still
rising. And that’s just the national average: in some regions, shoppers
have been stunned to see prices as high as RUB200 per kilo.
The potato crisis has also spilled over in neighbouring Belarus where
President AlexanderLukashenko roasted his top officials at a televised
Cabinet meeting for failing to contain soaring potato prices in March.
“You didn't do it and you'll answer for it,” Lukashenko said. “It turns out
we don't have potatoes. How much has the price of potatoes gone up?
Can't we produce the right amount of potatoes, put them in the cellar
and then sell them to people?” 'Why? It doesn’t store well? I warned you
last year how it should be stored. I gave you the example of Shuleyko
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from Alexandria. They built a storage facility. God forbid I drive by and
stop there, and it’s not filled to the ceiling.'
Sliding back into increasing Soviet-era economic habits, Lukashenko tried
to cap the price of potatoes, but all that happened was Belarusian farms
just exported their potatoes to Russia where they could get inflated
market prices making the Belarusian potato crisis worse.
A similar thing has happened with butter, which has seen a pack of
Russian made butter double and even triple in price this year, to the point
where supermarkets were stationing security guards by the daily counter
to prevent ballooning SHOPLIFTING OF BUTTER BY OUTRAGED
CUSTOMERS AND A BURGEONING BLACK MARKET IN STOLEN BUTTER.
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SEVERE DROUGHT CUTS CROP YIELDS BY UP
TO 85% IN PARTS OF TÜRKIYE
Prolonged drought and extreme weather events during the 2024/25
agricultural year have caused crop losses of up to 85% in parts of Türkiye,
according to the Türkiye Agricultural Chambers Union (TZOB). The
impacts are most severe in Central and Southeastern Anatolia, while
national output of key cereals, pulses, and vegetables is expected to
decline significantly.
Yield assessments from TZOB indicate that dry-farm cereal producers in
provinces such as Konya, Şanlıurfa, and Mardin have recorded the
sharpest losses. In Konya, traditional cereal yields have fallen from 7 000–
7 500 kg/ha (2 830–3 035 kg/acre) to 4 500–5 000 kg/ha (1 820–2
025 kg/acre).
Even irrigated fields in some areas have experienced major reductions
due to water shortages and high temperatures.
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The Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) reported that large
parts of Central Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia, and the Marmara region
have been in moderate to extreme drought since late 2024.
Seasonal precipitation from autumn 2024 to early spring 2025 was 30–
50% below normal in key breadbasket areas. June 2025 marked the driest
June in 54 years in parts of Marmara, with temperature anomalies
exceeding +1.5°C (+2.7°F). The drought was preceded by an extensive
frost event in April 2025, which damaged cereals, sunflowers, sugar beet,
fruit, and nut crops across 36 provinces.
Combined, the frost and subsequent heat stress are expected to cut
Türkiye’s cereal and field crop production by about 5% year-on-year, with
larger regional variations. According to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
estimates for marketing year 2025/26, wheat production will total about
18.5–18.6 million tonnes, down 6–7% from the previous year.
Barley output is forecast to fall 11% to about 6.25 million tonnes, while
rice is projected down 5% to about 828 000 tonnes. Corn, which is largely
irrigated, is expected to rise 12% to around 7.9 million tonnes, assuming
irrigation water remains available.
Turkey’s agricultural sector faces structural water management
challenges, with about 80% of national water use consumed by
agriculture, primarily through inefficient surface irrigation methods that
lose 35–60% to evaporation and runoff.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) warns that 88%
of Türkiye’s land is at risk of desertification under current trends.
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has launched a new
Agricultural Production Plan aimed at optimizing crop choices, reducing
water-intensive cultivation, and increasing climate resilience.
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FARMERS SUFFER THROUGH
'WORST YEAR' OF DEVASTATING CONDITIONS:
Extreme heat and ongoing drought are pushing some farmers in
Saskatchewan, Canada, to their limits. After nine consecutive dry years,
many say this season is shaping up to be the most devastating yet.
What's happening?
Farmers in southwestern Saskatchewan are facing one of the harshest
growing seasons on record, CJME reported. After nearly a decade of
persistent drought, record-breaking heat is making the damage even
worse, scorching crops and drying out pastures. Some farmers say they're
being pushed to the brink.
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"It's the worst year that I've ever seen," said Kelly Bakanec, a farmer near
Fox Valley. "Another week or two of this drought, and we won't even take
our combines out. We'll be lucky to scratch around and get our seed back
right now."
Hay crops are particularly devastated, and ranchers like Alvin Pawlitza are
having to get feed from far away in Manitoba and northern Montana.
"You start buying feed and to truck it in, you're $2,000 or $2,500 a load
for, say, 40 bales, and you need 400 or 500 bales just to help get through,"
Pawlitza said.
Why are struggling crops concerning?
As rising global temperatures drive more extreme weather, prolonged
droughts like this one are becoming harder to recover from and to insure
against. Farmers are dealing with reduced yields, growing debt, and
inadequate safety nets. Bakanec summed it up, saying: "Every year, a
guy's getting farther and farther behind."
But the impact goes far beyond the farm and crop producers. As harvests
shrink and feed becomes more expensive, food prices could rise across
the supply chain, affecting families at every income level. And if more
ranchers are forced to sell off their herds or move to different areas, it
could leave lasting gaps in local food supply chains.
"Producers here are extremely resilient, and they're pretty tough,"
Pawlitza said. "But we've been in this long enough that we have to start
to consider some options … because this is getting long, and people are
getting really tired of trying to deal with this."
What's being done to support struggling crops?
Farmers want better support from the government, including
transportation aid and improved insurance programs. Pawlitza, for
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example, points to neighboring Alberta's stronger hay and rainfall
insurance programs as a potential model for Saskatchewan.
On a broader scale, protecting our food future means reducing the heattrapping
pollution that worsens rising temperatures and extreme
weather. That includes making homes and transportation cleaner and
more efficient, switching to clean energy, and supporting sustainable
farming practices wherever possible. People at home can explore critical
climate issues to learn more about local initiatives working to make the
future cleaner and safer for us all.
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AMERICA'S FARM CRISIS IS GETTING WORSE-AND IT'S
COMING FOR YOUR DINNER TABLE
America's farmers are in trouble. Real trouble. And whether you live on
a thousand acres or in a two-bedroom apartment, this crisis is going to
affect you. What's unfolding across rural America isn't just some dusty
policy debate--it's a threat to the food you eat, the prices you pay, and
the freedom our country depends on.
Right now, American agriculture is facing the biggest challenges it has
seen in generations. Many are comparing it to the devastating farm crisis
of the 1980s. But in some ways, this may be even worse. Why? Because
it's not just one problem--it's five, all hitting at once.
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1. Farmers Are Drowning in Debt
Family farms--once symbols of stability--are collapsing under the weight
of historic debt. Operating loans, land payments, equipment financing,
fertilizer, seed... it's all gotten more expensive, and it's burying small and
mid-sized farms. Banks are tightening the screws, and more and more
family farmers are being forced into bankruptcy. These aren't lazy people
looking for handouts. These are hard-working Americans who love the
land. They just can't keep up anymore.
2. Prices Are Dropping--But Costs Keep Climbing
Here's the cruel irony: Farmers are getting paid less for their crops and
cattle, even as it costs them more to produce them. Corn, soybeans,
cotton--prices are in the basement. But diesel, feed, equipment repairs,
and fertilizer? Sky-high. It doesn't take a Harvard economist to do the
math. You can't survive long when you're losing money on every acre.
This is what happens when global markets are allowed to dominate
American livelihoods. While the current administration has taken bold
steps to stand up to China and defend our sovereignty, the truth is--
decades of bad trade deals and globalist priorities left our farmers far too
vulnerable. Now they're paying the price.
3. The Workforce Has Vanished
One of the dirtiest secrets in American agriculture is just how dependent
our farms have become on cheap, foreign labor. For years, both political
parties looked the other way while the industry built a workforce that
was here illegally. And now, with enforcement finally being taken
seriously, those workers are disappearing--and no one's lining up to take
their place.
That's not President Trump's fault. It's the fault of decades of weak
leadership and open-border nonsense that left our farmers without a
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legal, sustainable labor system. What we need now is an immigration
policy that respects the law, secures the border, and gives farms access to
seasonal labor--without selling out American workers or undermining
our values. Because if we don't fix this, crops will rot in the fields. And
the grocery store shelves won't look the same next year.
4. Weather Is Wreaking Havoc
Floods. Droughts. Wild temperature swings. Across the heartland,
farmers can't rely on the seasons the way they used to. One year brings
too much rain, the next brings none. Fields go under water, or dry up and
blow away. Insurance can only cover so much. At some point, farmers just
walk away.
This isn't just bad luck. It's the result of years of poor land management,
over-regulation, and shifting climate cycles. But now it's hurting real
people, in real places--and it's putting our national food supply at risk.
5. The Government Is Failing Them
When American farmers needed leadership, the bureaucrats gave them
paperwork. Agencies that used to exist to serve rural America have
become bloated, politicized machines. The support systems that kept
family farms going--loans, insurance, technical help--are falling apart.
And when aid is available, it's often funneled to the biggest, most
corporate farms while small family operations get left behind.
Even the big farm bills passed in Washington, including those supported
by conservative leadership, don't always reach the people who need
them most. The funds are tied up in red tape, delayed for months, or
unevenly distributed. And without a major overhaul, thousands more
farms could vanish in the next five years.
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This Isn't Just About Farmers--It's About You
If you think this is just a rural problem, think again. What's happening to
America's farmers will hit every single household in this country. Fewer
farmers means less food. Less food means higher prices. And higher
prices mean real pain for families already struggling with inflation.
It's not just the sticker shock--it's the uncertainty. The fear that your local
grocery store won't have the same choices it used to. That imported
food--grown with fewer safety standards--will take the place of
wholesome, American-raised products. That we'll wake up one day and
realize we handed our food supply over to foreign interests.
And when a nation loses control of its food, it loses control of its future.
Food Security Is National Security
Our enemies know this. That's why foreign entities are quietly buying up
American farmland. That's why other nations are tightening control over
global food exports. And that's why protecting the American farmer isn't
just a nostalgic idea--it's a matter of national defense.
We need leaders who will prioritize food production like we prioritize oil
and energy. We need to restore respect for rural America, create a stable,
legal workforce, renegotiate trade policies that put America first, and
rebuild our domestic agriculture before it's too late.
This isn't just about policy. It's about sovereignty. It's about dignity. And
it's about survival.
Because without our farmers, there is no America.
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REVELATION 10:5-6And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea
and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by
him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the
things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein
are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, THAT THERE
SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER:
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for THAT DAY IS GREAT, SO THAT NONE IS
LIKE IT: IT IS EVEN THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE, but he
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,
I also will keep thee from THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION, WHICH
SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL
UPON THE EARTH.
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FARMERS STRUGGLE AS EXTREME STORMS DEVASTATE
CROPS: 'WE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MORE'
Farmers in Zaragoza, Spain, produced far fewer apricot crops this year
due to bad weather conditions.
What's happening?
Fresh Plaza reported that farmers of stone fruit crops in Zaragoza, Spain,
saw significantly reduced crop yields this year due to spring hailstorms.
Although farmers covered some crops with hail mesh — which is now a
necessity for farmers in the region — enough crops were left uncovered
to affect the overall crop yields.
Franck Secalot, the commercial director of Albice Fruits, told Fresh Plaza:
"We expected to produce more than 14 million kilos of fruit this year, but
only produced 10 because of the storms."
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Why are reduced crop yields concerning?
Spain isn't the only country struggling to produce enough crops because
of weather events such as hailstorms, drought, and extreme
temperatures. Farmers around the globe are experiencing similar issues,
resulting in fewer crops being produced everywhere.
If temperatures worldwide continue to rise, extreme weather events,
such as heavy rains and hail, will keep increasing, which will only make it
more challenging to grow food.
Fewer crops mean less food in grocery stores, resulting in global food
scarcity, as well as increased prices on the reduced amount of food
available. Besides being exceptionally bad news for consumers,
decreased crop yields mean that farmers won't make as much income as
they used to, which could lead to fewer jobs for farmhands and fewer
farmers.
Additionally, reduced crop yields due to a changing climate can affect the
entire food supply chain and local ecosystems, leading to a variety of
issues in the agricultural world.
What's being done about Spain's fruit crops?
Secalot explained how the changing climate is forcing farmers to change
the ways they've traditionally farmed.
Now, most crops are protected with mesh or netting to ward off hail and
other extreme weather. Additionally, farmers utilize paraffin lamps and
antifreeze towers to keep crops protected from frost. Technology is also
aiding farmers in determining the best times to harvest, as well as helping
to measure how much water is in the soil at any given time.
Secalot told Fresh Plaza: "The future of fruit-growing lies in adapting to
fewer cold hours, more heat, less water, and more intense storms."
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THE BLACK HORSE OF REVELATION: FROM
FOOD SHORTAGES TO INFLATION
https://youtu.be/-bCLCF4eICU
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THE BLACK HORSEMAN
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‘GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST HUNGER AND POVERTY’
During his speech, the foreign minister announced that SAUDI ARABIA WOULD BE
JOINING THE “GLOBAL COALITION AGAINST HUNGER AND POVERTY,” LAUNCHED
BY BRAZIL, ADDING THAT THE KINGDOM VIEWS IT AS AN IMPORTANT STEP
TOWARD ADDRESSING GLOBAL FOOD INSECURITY.
THE COALITION ALSO ALIGNS WITH SAUDI ARABIA’S DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS
AND ITS GLOBAL ROLE IN THE FIELD, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE INITIATIVES OF
THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER, THE SAUDI FUND
FOR DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS ITS GLOBAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND WORLD BANK PROGRAMS SUPPORTING
DEVELOPING NATIONS, he said.

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KSRELIEF WINS
GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Delano Roosevelt, CEO of National Council on US-Arab Relations, presents the
award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in Washington.
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WASHINGTON: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief was honored with the GLOBAL
HUMANITARIAN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL
ON US-ARAB RELATIONS, IN RECOGNITION OF RELIEF EFFORTS THAT
HAVE MADE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT IN CRISIS REGIONS AROUND THE
WORLD.
Delano Roosevelt, the council’s second president and CEO, presented the
award to the supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, in
Washington, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the
award is an INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA’S
LEADING ROLE IN RELIEF EFFORTS. He underlined the KINGDOM’S
COMMITMENT TO ASSISTING PEOPLE IN NEED, SUPPORTING THOSE
AFFECTED BY CRISES, AND ASSISTING REFUGEES WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
He also affirmed that SAUDI ARABIA HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN A LEADER
IN CHARITABLE AND HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVES AND IS AT THE
FOREFRONT OF DONOR COUNTRIES ON REGIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL FRONTS.
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SAUDI ARABIA ADVOCATES FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION TO
END HUNGER, ENSURE FOOD SECURITY
RIYADH: The Kingdom sees agriculture as a cornerstone for achieving
sustainable development and supporting economic growth, Saudi
Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour bin
Hilal Al-Mushaiti said this week.
Al-Mushaiti led the SAUDI DELEGATION TO THE THREE-DAY “A WORLD
WITHOUT HUNGER” CONFERENCE that began on Tuesday in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During his conference
speech, Al-Mushaiti said that agriculture also played a key role in job
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creation and prosperity for local communities. This came through the
strengthening of farmer support systems and the promotion of modern
agricultural practices to INCREASE PRODUCTION AND IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY, ULTIMATELY ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY.
“The significant progress made in science, innovation and modern
technologies has contributed to addressing many urgent global food
challenges,” Al-Mushaiti said. “However, the advancement achieved in
ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY remains insufficient. This underscores the
crucial importance of INTENSIFYING GLOBAL EFFORTS AND ACTIVATING
POLICIES TO DEVELOP PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS.”
The deputy minister said that DIRECT FOOD AID AND HUMANITARIAN
RELIEF EFFORTS HAD PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN PROVIDING SHORT-TERM
SOLUTIONS TO FOOD INSECURITY IN MANY COUNTRIES. HE SAID THAT
THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER HAD
IMPLEMENTED ABOUT 900 FOOD SECURITY PROJECTS IN 78 COUNTRIES
WORLDWIDE, REFLECTING THE KINGDOM’S HUMANITARIAN ROLE AND
SUPPORT FOR PEOPLES FACING SEVERE CONDITIONS.
Al-Mushaiti said that boosting investment in the agriculture and food
sectors had become PARAMOUNT TO BUILDING A WORLD FREE OF
HUNGER. This could be achieved through adopting innovation and
modern farming techniques, as well as providing flexible financing
solutions to increase production and build resilience in agricultural and
food systems.
“THE KINGDOM WELCOMES AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS IN ALL
FIELDS AND OFFERS INCENTIVES AND SUPPORT FOR INVESTORS
GLOBALLY,” Al-Mushaaiti said. “We seek to expand agricultural
investment in countries with competitive advantages, abundant natural
resources and growing markets, to leverage integrated agricultural
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capabilities and CREATE MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES TOWARD
ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY.”
Al-Mushaaiti stressed the NEED TO STRENGTHEN MULTILATERAL
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH GLOBAL
ORGANIZATIONS, in addition to promoting fair trade in line with WTO
standards. This, he said, would contribute to building a world free of
hunger, alongside other essential steps such as exchanging best
agricultural practices and technologies, expanding access to innovative
financing, and ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SOCIAL SAFETY NET
PROGRAMS.
Al-Mushaiti said that the Kingdom had taken several steps in this
direction. This included launching programs and initiatives such as the
Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Program, which contributed
to increasing the income of small-scale farmers and improving their living
standards, and the Small and Medium Enterprises General
Authority“Monsha’at” Authority to support micro, small and medium
enterprises in the sector, through financing, training and job
opportunities, and other ambitious projects and programs that worked
to support the agricultural sector and activate its contribution to
achieving food security.
THE “A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER” CONFERENCE WAS ORGANIZED BY
THE UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, THE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION AND THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT,
WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZATION OF THE UN, TO DISCUSS TOPICS RELATED TO THE
AGRICULTURE, FOOD PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY SECTORS, AS
WELL AS FOOD SECURITY, FINANCE, FOOD SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE
AND MORE.
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SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM TO
BOOST WHEAT, BARLEY PRODUCTIVITY
RIYADH: SAUDI ARABIA’S WHEAT AND BARLEY PRODUCTION IS SET TO
STRENGTHEN, thanks to a new program aimed at inventorying 903 plant
genetic resources from fruit trees. The process of PGR entails collecting
and documenting the genetic material of plants valuable for both present
and future generations.
It is integral to agro-biodiversity, covering crops, livestock, and related
species, and serves as the CORNERSTONE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND
NUTRITIONAL SECURITY. Launched by the Kingdom’s Ministry of
Environment, Water and Agriculture, the IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
NEW PROGRAM IS BASED ON THREE AXES, according to a statement.
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THE FIRST INCLUDES INVENTORY, PURIFICATION, AND EVALUATION OF
LOCAL VARIETIES, WHILE THE SECOND ENTAILS COOPERATION WITH
INTERNATIONAL BODIES. MEANWHILE, THE THIRD AXIS INCLUDES
IMPLEMENTING A REGIONAL BREEDING PROGRAM.
This move falls in line with the ministry’s vision to achieve sustainability
of the environment and natural resources, ensuring water security,
contributing to food protection, and improving the quality of life in the
Kingdom. Moreover, the commencement of the program involved the
application to register FIVE VARIETIES OF SOFT BREAD WHEAT AND
DURUM PASTA WHEAT, including three local varieties and two new ones
to the Kingdom.
Additionally, the program encompassed the identification of 52
promising strains of soft wheat and 45 promising strains of durum wheat,
which are currently in the final evaluation stages for this season. The
ministry anticipates that a significant number of these strains will be
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selected and registered next year. Furthermore, a total of 215 genetic
resources of field crops and 17 genetic resources of vegetable crops were
also identified.
In addition, the Seed and Seedling Center disclosed that out of the 903
plant genetic resources, 159 are located in Jazan, 252 in Al-Baha, and 130
in Asir. Moreover, 247 resources are found in Eastern Province, 50 in
Riyadh, and 65 in Medinah.
THIS UNDERSCORES THE COMPREHENSIVE GENETIC FINGERPRINTING
BEING CONDUCTED FOR ALL GENETIC RESOURCES IN THE KINGDOM,
INCLUDING WHEAT, BARLEY, COFFEE, SESAME, AND OTHERS.
This will help to identify similarities and differences between samples of
a single VARIETY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, DOCUMENT GENETICALLY
DISTINCT SAMPLES, standardize the name of the local variety, and
publish the outputs in international offices.
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HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS EXACERBATING FOOD INSECURITY,
DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE MIDDLE EAST
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RIYADH: GLOBAL FOOD INSECURITY IS FAR WORSE THAN PREVIOUSLY
THOUGHT. THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY
AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD 2024 REPORT PUBLISHED THIS WEEK
BY A COALITION OF UN ENTITIES, WHICH FOUND THAT EFFORTS TO
TACKLE UNDERNOURISHMENT HAD SUFFERED SERIOUS SETBACKS. AS
COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD FALL SIGNIFICANTLY SHORT OF
ACHIEVING THE SECOND UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL OF
“ZERO HUNGER” BY 2030, THE REPORT NOTES THAT CLIMATE CHANGE
IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS A PIVOTAL FACTOR EXACERBATING
HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY.
As a major food importer, THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
REGION IS CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE-
INDUCED CROP FAILURES IN SOURCE NATIONS and the resulting
imposition of protectionist tariffs and fluctuations in commodity prices.
“CLIMATE CHANGE IS A DRIVER OF FOOD INSECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE
EAST, where both the global shock and the local shock matter,” David
Laborde, director of the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division at the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, told Arab News.
“Now, especially for the Middle East, I think that the global angle is
important because THE MIDDLE EAST IS IMPORTING A LOT OF FOOD.
Even if you don’t have a (climate) shock at home, if you don’t have a
drought or flood at home — if it’s happened in Pakistan, if it’s happened
in India, if it’s happened in Canada — the Middle East will feel it.” The
State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report has been
compiled annually since 1999 by FAO, the International Fund for
Agricultural Development, the UN Children’s Fund, the World Food
Programme, and the World Health Organization to monitor global
progress toward ending hunger.
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During a recent event at the UN headquarters in New York, the report’s
authors emphasized the urgent need for creative and fair solutions to
address the financial shortfall for helping THOSE NATIONS
EXPERIENCING SEVERE HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION MADE WORSE BY
CLIMATE CHANGE. IN ADDITION TO CLIMATE CHANGE, THE REPORT
FOUND THAT FACTORS LIKE CONFLICT AND ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS
ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY FREQUENT AND SEVERE, IMPACTING
THE AFFORDABILITY OF A HEALTHY DIET, UNHEALTHY FOOD
ENVIRONMENTS, AND INEQUALITY.
In this photo taken on July 2, 2022, Iraqi farmer Bapir Kalkani inspects his
wheat farm in the Rania district near the Dukan reservoir, northwest of
Iraq's northeastern city of Sulaimaniyah, which has been experiencing
BOUTS OF DROUGHT DUE TO A MIX OF FACTORS INCLUDING LOWER
RAINFALL AND DIVERSION OF INFLOWING RIVERS FROM IRAN. (AFP)
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INDEED, FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION ARE INTENSIFYING
DUE TO PERSISTENT FOOD PRICE INFLATION, WHICH HAS UNDERMINED
ECONOMIC PROGRESS GLOBALLY.
“There is also an indirect effect that we should not neglect — how
CLIMATE SHOCK INTERACTS WITH CONFLICT,” said Laborde.
In North Africa, for example, negative climate shocks can lead to more
conflict, “either because people start to compete for natural resources,
access to water, or just because you may also have some people in your
area that have nothing else to do,” he said.“There are no jobs, they
cannot work on their farm, and so they can join insurgencies or other
elements.”
UP TO 757 MILLION PEOPLE ENDURED HUNGER IN 2023 — THE
EQUIVALENT OF ONE IN 11 WORLDWIDE AND ONE IN FIVE IN AFRICA.
GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF FOOD INSECURITY HAS REMAINED
UNCHANGED FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, despite progress in Latin
America. In late 2021, G20 countries pledged to take $100 billion worth
of unused Special Drawing Rights, held in the central banks of highincome
countries and allocate them to middle- and low-income
countries.
Since then, however, this pledged amount has fallen $13 billion short,
with those countries with the worst economic conditions receiving less
than 1 percent of this support. SAUDI ARABIA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES
THAT HAS EXCEEDED ITS 20 PERCENT PLEDGE, alongside Australia,
Canada, China, France, and Japan, while others have failed to reach 10
percent or have ceased engagement altogether.
“SAUDI ARABIA IS A VERY LARGE STATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, SO WHAT
THEY DO IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO THEY HAVE A FINANCIAL CAPACITY
THAT MANY OTHER COUNTRIES DON’T,” said Laborde.
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“It can be through their SDRs. It can also be through their sovereign fund
because where you invest matters and how you invest matters to make
the world more sustainable. So, I will say yes, prioritizing investment in
low- and middle-income countries on food and security and nutritionrelated
programs can be important.
Although the prevalence of undernourishment in Saudi Arabia has fallen
in recent years, the report shows that the rate of stunting in children has
actually increased by 1.4 percent in the past 10 years. THERE HAS ALSO
BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE RATES OF OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN, OBESITY,
AND ANEMIA IN WOMEN AS THE POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW.
IN THIS SENSE, IT IS NOT SO MUCH A LACK OF FOOD BUT A DEARTH OF
HEALTHY EATING HABITS.
“SAUDI ARABIA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE where I would say traditional
hunger and the lack of food … become less and less a problem, but other
forms of malnutrition become actually what is important,” said Laborde.
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https://youtu.be/P4nnp-wOVrY

Can you guess what has the highest percentage of waste in the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia? No, it is not plastic nor paper but food waste. Food waste
forms up to 40-51 % of the waste in the Kingdom followed by paper,
cardboard, plastics and others. UNDP understands that tackling food
waste in each country is unique as each case has its own characteristics.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), “an estimated
1/3 of all food produced globally is lost or goes to waste”. Among the
biggest food wasters in the world is in the GCC, where Saudi Arabia is one
of the highest. Accordingly, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water
and Agriculture, Abdulrahman AlFadley has called for joint efforts to end
food waste. Approximately 33% of food is wasted in the Kingdom
according to a study by the Saudi Grains Organization conducted in 2019.
In line with THE KINGDOM’S VISION 2030 and (5) EFFORTS TO REDUCE
FOOD WASTE, the Saudi Arabia Accelerator Lab wanted to dive deeper
into this phenomenon to better understand who are the players in this
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ecosystem and where are the areas that could be further explored to find
innovative ways to tackle food waste.
IN 2023, SOME 2.33 BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE FACED MODERATE
OR SEVERE FOOD INSECURITY, AND ONE IN 11 PEOPLE FACED HUNGER,
MADE WORSE BY VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS ECONOMIC DECLINE AND
CLIMATE CHANGE. THE AFFORDABILITY OF HEALTHY DIETS IS ALSO A
CRITICAL ISSUE, PARTICULARLY IN LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES WHERE
MORE THAN 71 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION CANNOT AFFORD
ADEQUATE NUTRITION.
In (5) COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA WHERE (5) OVEREATING IS A
RISING ISSUE, Laborde suggests that proper investment in nutrition and
health education as well as policy adaptation may be the way to go.
WHILE THE KINGDOM CONTINUES TO EXTEND SUPPORT TO COUNTRIES
IN CRISIS, INCLUDING PALESTINE, SUDAN, AND YEMEN, THROUGH ITS
HUMANITARIAN ARM KSRELIEF, THESE STATES CONTINUE TO GRAPPLE
WITH DIRE CONDITIONS.
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“Now, something that is true everywhere, in Sudan, in Yemen, in
Palestine, WHEN YOU START TO ADD CONFLICT AND MILITARY
OPERATIONS, THE POPULATION SUFFERS A LOT BECAUSE YOU CAN
ACTUALLY DESTROY PRODUCTION. YOU DESTROY ACCESS TO WATER.
BUT PEOPLE ALSO CANNOT GO TO THE GROCERY SHOP WHEN THE
TRUCK OR THE SHIP BRINGING FOOD IS DISRUPTED.”
While Palestine and Sudan are the extreme cases, there are still
APPROXIMATELY 733 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE FACING HUNGER,
MARKING A CONTINUATION OF THE HIGH LEVELS OBSERVED OVER THE
PAST THREE YEARS.
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“On the ground, we work with the World Food Programme (and) with
other organizations, aimed at bringing food to the people in need in
Palestine,” Laborde said of FAO’s work. “Before the conflict and after, we
will also be working on rebuilding things that need to be rebuilt. BUT
WITHOUT PEACE, THERE ARE LIMITED THINGS WE CAN DO.”
THE REPORT’S PROJECTIONS FOR 2030 SUGGEST THAT AROUND 582
MILLION PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM CHRONIC
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UNDERNOURISHMENT, HALF OF THEM IN AFRICA. This mirrors levels
observed in 2015 when the SDGs were adopted, indicating a plateau in
progress.
THE REPORT EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO CREATE BETTER SYSTEMS OF
FINANCIAL DISTRIBUTION AS PER THIS YEAR’S THEME: “FINANCING TO
END HUNGER, FOOD INSECURITY AND ALL FORMS OF MALNUTRITION.”
“We have to say that we are not delivering on the promises that
policymakers have made. The world today produces enough food, so IT’S
MUCH MORE ABOUT HOW WE DISTRIBUTE IT, HOW WE GIVE ACCESS.
IT’S A MAN-MADE PROBLEM, AND SO IT SHOULD BE A MAN-MADE
SOLUTION.”
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HOW IS WAR IN UKRAINE AFFECTING GLOBAL FOOD PRICES?
The protracted conflict in Ukraine cannot keep food prices rising
perpetually. Costs have started receding in the global market, as well as
in several advanced economies. But FOOD INFLATION PERSISTS IN MANY
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, LARGELY DUE TO DOMESTIC CHALLENGES
THAT GO BEYOND THE RUSSIAN INVASION.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, THE HUMANITARIAN
EFFECTS ON LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS CONTINUE TO DEEPEN. Although
interventions from the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP)
and the European Union (EU) have succeeded in pushing global food
prices down overall, the effects linger in many developing countries.
MANY NATIONS, PARTICULARLY LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME
ECONOMIES, ARE STILL TRAPPED IN THE FOOD CRISIS PRECIPITATED BY
THE CONFLICT.
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UKRAINE, WHICH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE BREADBASKET OF
EUROPE, IS A SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL EXPORTER OF AGRICULTURAL
COMMODITIES, INCLUDING GRAINS AND SUNFLOWER OIL. IT PLAYS A
PIVOTAL ROLE IN MEETING THE FOOD DEMANDS OF NUMEROUS
NATIONS.
WITH PROLONGED DISRUPTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION,
DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS AND TRADE ROUTES, THE CONTINUING
CONFLICT IN ONE OF THE MOST FERTILE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD HAS
EXACERBATED EXISTING CHALLENGES AND CREATED NEW HURDLES
FOR ENSURING ACCESS TO FOOD AND IMPROVED SOCIO-ECONOMIC
WELLBEING FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. THE PAIN OF THE FIGHTING
EXTENDS FAR BEYOND UKRAINE’S BORDERS.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF FOOD EXPORTING FROM UKRAINE AND
RUSSIA?
https://youtu.be/A9rlUkdUHXI
SHORTAGES REMAIN, TWO YEARS INTO THE WAR. SEVERAL REGIONS
THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM UKRAINE
STILL FACE REDUCED IMPORTS TO MEET THEIR FOOD NEEDS, AS WELL
AS RISING FOOD IMPORT BILLS. For example, besides the EU, MOST
REGIONS EXPERIENCED A DIP IN WHEAT IMPORTS FROM 2021/22 TO
2022/23 (see Figure 1). In terms of numbers, South East Asia – one of the
largest wheat importers from East European nations – saw the biggest
drop in wheat imports from Ukraine.
The story is different with wheat exports from Russia. It appears that
some regions are looking to Russia for more wheat to feed their people.
Aside from Europe, South East Asia and Southern Africa, other regions
for which data are available witnessed a Russian wheat boom. For
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example, the region of Eastern Asia (where wheat imports from Ukraine
fell by about 66%) increased its imports from Russia by 49%.
This trend is highlighted in Figure 2. The chart shows Russia’s total wheat
exports trending upwards, while wheat exports from Ukraine continue to
trend down. RATHER THAN DIE OF STARVATION OR SUFFER
MALNUTRITION DUE TO A WAR, COUNTRIES (PRIMARILY LOW-INCOME
ECONOMIES) SIMPLY ‘FOLLOW THE FOOD’ TO STAY ALIVE.
Whether this pattern is replicable for other food products remains to be
seen. The picture will become clearer when the World Trade Organization
(WTO) releases updated data for other grain commodities (such as
maize). What we do know is that with Russian boots occupying Ukraine’s
farmlands, the latter’s grain exports, which declined by 24% in
2023/24, are expected to continue to fall further in 2024/25. This
suggests that the pattern shown in Figure 2 is likely to persist.
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https://youtu.be/nHMX3jDJT5Q
THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF FOOD, AND INSTABILITY AROUND ITS
SUPPLY, WILL MAKE MORE PEOPLE ‘FOOD-INSECURE’. THIS WILL BRING
WITH IT WIDER HEALTH AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES, SUCH AS
MEDICAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MALNUTRITION AS WELL AS
SOCIAL UNREST AND CRIME.
It is projected that almost 600 million people will be chronically
undernourished in 2030 if the war is sustained, with Africa – home to
some of the world’s poorest and most hungry populations – hit the
hardest. This is around 23 million more people than if the war in Ukraine
had not happened. Beyond the vast casualties seen in Mariupol, Kherson
and Kharkiv, THE HUMAN COST OF THE WAR IS SPREADING.
Instability in Ukrainian agricultural markets is also manifested in food
price fluctuations. Although global food and fuel prices have receded
from their peak levels at the inception of the conflict in February 2022,
they remain high compared with pre-conflict levels (see Figure 3).
Notably, as of December 2023, food and grain prices are still roughly 12-
13% above their December 2020 levels. PRICE VOLATILITY AFFECTS
IMPORTING COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS OR LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ABSORB SUDDEN
RISES IN FOOD BILLS.
Comparing developed and developing economies over the years in which
the war has raged, there is a divergence between how domestic food
prices have responded to the sluggish downward trend in international
markets. Food price inflation (sometime referred to as ‘food-flation’) is
easing off in many advanced economies like the UK and the United
States, but it is rising elsewhere. This is especially true in more fragile
economies (see Figure 4).
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Investigating and addressing the causes of this divergence would help to
solve some aspects of FOOD INSECURITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES,
WHERE CITIZENS ARE TAKING TO THE STREETS IN MAJOR CITIES LIKE
KANO, NIGERIA, IN PROTEST AGAINST RISING FOOD COSTS. Not only do
food price changes vary across different economies, there are also
differences in the effects of price fluctuations on people’s wellbeing.
Households in rich economies spend a smaller proportion of their income
on food than THOSE IN LOW-INCOME ECONOMIES, WHERE AN
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SPENDS MORE THAN HALF OF ITS WAGES ON
FOOD. HIGHER FOOD PRICES IN SUCH REGIONS CAUSE A GREATER
STRAIN ON HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS, EXACERBATING POVERTY AND
FOOD INSECURITY IN ALREADY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
There was a brief respite from escalating prices thanks to the UNbrokered
‘Black Sea Grain Initiative’ (BSGI). This policy allowed for the
safe passage of Ukraine’s grain exports through three ports:
Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. But the BSGI collapsed in
July 2023, with Russia pulling out of the agreement a year after it was
first signed. The BSGI facilitated about 20% of Ukraine’s wheat exports
getting to developing countries, and its collapse could prove catastrophic.
Alternative trade routes are either expensive or problematic. Disruptions
to the Red Sea shipping route – due to recent attacks by Yemen-based
Houthi rebels – have reduced trade volumes in the Suez Canal by about
40% (according to a report in The Economist).
Source: Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Food Price Monitoring
and Analysis, 2024
DISTURBANCES TO THESE TRADE ROUTES INTERRUPT SUPPLY CHAINS, RAISING
THE COSTS OF SHIPPING AND WAREHOUSING. THESE COSTS ARE OFTEN PASSED
ON TO CONSUMERS, PUTTING PRESSURE ON DOMESTIC FOOD PRICES AND
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REDUCING PRODUCERS’ PROFITS. AS FIGHTING INTENSIFIES AND SPREADS, AND
FURTHER CONFLICTS BUBBLE UP, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE STAND TO LOSE OUT.
Since the annulment of the BSGI, of which many food-insecure countries were huge
beneficiaries, the UN reports that RUSSIA’S ATTACKS ON UKRAINE’S PORTS AND
EXPORT FACILITIES HAVE SEEN THE DESTRUCTION OF ABOUT 60,000 METRIC
TONNES OF GRAINS – ENOUGH TO FEED ABOUT 270,000 PEOPLE A YEAR. That is
more than the combined population of the Seychelles and Kiribati.
What is happening to fuel prices?
Fuel prices influence food prices, especially in monocultural, oildependent
countries like Nigeria. But increases in energy prices in the
international market triggered by sanctions on Russian oil appear to have
tapered off (see Figure 3). This comes at a time when there are concerns
that the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East will resuscitate energy price
spikes.
But a report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that
the initial surge in oil prices that followed the start of the fighting in Gaza
was due to investor speculations and not to disruptions in production.
With continued supply, oil prices are now relatively stable. Unlike the
sharp rise in prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year,
the warring parties in the Middle East conflict are not significant oil
producers.
So, fossil fuel price escalation is not the main driver of the current foodflation.
With stable oil prices in the global market, the food inflation still
being experienced in many countries is mainly due to issues with food
production, processing and pricing, as well as inappropriate or ill-timed
economic policies in individual countries.
For example, the unpopular removal of fuel subsidies by the Nigerian
government in 2023 quadrupled food prices – an impact far greater than
the original effect of the conflict in Ukraine.
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What next?
Beyond immediate disruptions, the persistent conflict may have longterm
consequences for agricultural productivity in Ukraine and other
affected regions. DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE, MILITARY
OCCUPATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND, COSTLY MOVEMENT OF
AGRICULTURAL GOODS, AND DISPLACEMENT OF FARMERS COULD
IMPEDE FUTURE PRODUCTION CAPACITY, PROLONGING THE RECOVERY
PROCESS (AS REPORTED BY THE IMF) AND EXERTING SUSTAINED
PRESSURE ON LOCAL FOOD MARKETS.
IN THE ABSENCE OF A MIRACLE, UKRAINE’S PRODUCTION AND EXPORT
OUTLOOKS LOOK BLEAK. THE COUNTRY HAS ALREADY LOST THREE
PLANTING SEASONS TO WAR. WITHOUT URGENT INTERVENTIONS,
PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS WILL KEEP DROPPING FROM THEIR
2022/23 LEVELS.
More prosperous economies appear to be successful in adapting to and
mitigating the food impact of the war in Ukraine. But MANY DEVELOPING
AND EMERGING ECONOMIES ARE STILL GRAPPLING WITH THE FOOD
CRISIS PROBLEM. JUST LIKE COVID-19, THE ISSUE OF FOOD INSECURITY
SHOULD BE A GLOBAL CONCERN, AS ‘HUNGER IN ONE COUNTRY IS A
THREAT TO OTHER COUNTRIES’.
Concerted efforts must be made to support struggling countries. After
all, ACHIEVING A WORLD FREE FROM HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION IS
ONE OF THE UN’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG 2).
CONFLICTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE A DANGEROUS THREAT TO
MEETING THIS TARGET.
The current food crisis presents an opportunity to learn some vital
lessons. Countries that are heavily reliant on Ukrainian grains, such as
wheat and corn, must intensify their diversification and self-sufficiency
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efforts. They could seek alternative suppliers to mitigate potential
shortages, as well as creating a secure and business-friendly environment
and policies that would allow for foreign direct investment into their own
agricultural sectors to chart a course for self-sufficiency in the production
of basic food staples.
While the outcome of the war in Ukraine is far beyond the control of
many developing and emerging economies, how they react to sustained
food shortages is not. An active policy response with international
support is vital to protect the most vulnerable households around the
world.
The war has claimed many lives already. Keeping the tally of victims of
food shortages down to a minimum should be a critical concern for
policy-makers worldwide.
Where can I find out more?
The World Trade Organization regularly releases real-time datasets
showing trends and directions of agricultural exports and imports
worldwide.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) hosts a blog
series where the impact of global phenomena like the war in Ukraine on
food systems is routinely discussed.
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has a Food Price
Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool that monitors and analyses food
prices in domestic and international markets.
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HALVING FOOD WASTE CAN REDUCE HUNGER
FOR 153 MILLION PEOPLE: REPORT
PARIS: Halving food waste could cut climate-warming emissions and end
undernourishment for 153 million people globally, the OECD and the
UN’s food agency said in a joint report Tuesday. Around a third of food
produced for human consumption gets lost or wasted globally, according
to the Food and Agriculture Organization — resulting in useless emissions
and less available food for those who need it.
By 2033, the number of calories lost and wasted between produce
leaving farms and reaching shops and households could be more than
twice the number of calories currently consumed in low-income
countries in a year, the report warned. Cutting in two the amount of food
lost and wasted along the journey from farm to fork “has the potential to
reduce global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by four percent and
the number of undernourished people by 153 million by the year 2030,”
according to the report.
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“This target is a highly ambitious upper bound and would require
substantial changes by both consumers and producer side,” they added.
Agriculture, forestry and other land use account for around one-fifth of
global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. UN nations have
committed to cutting per capita food waste by 50 percent by 2030 as part
of sustainable development goals but there is no global target for
reducing food loss along the production supply chain.
Between 2021 and 2023, fruit and vegetables accounted for more than
half of the lost and wasted food given their extremely perishable nature
and relatively short shelf life, according to the report. Cereals followed,
accounting for over a quarter of lost and wasted food. THE FAO
ESTIMATES THAT APPROXIMATELY 600 MILLION PEOPLE WILL BE
FACING HUNGER IN 2030.
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KSRELIEF EXPANDS AID TO CRISIS ZONES WORLDWIDE
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief is intensifying efforts to deliver critical
aid to Lebanon and Gaza while supporting medical assistance needs in
Turkiye and Sri Lanka. The 23rd aid plane from Riyadh arrived at Beirut-
Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday, carrying food, shelter,
and medical supplies for people displaced by Israeli airstrikes.
KSRELIEF ALSO CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL FOOD BASKETS TO
FAMILIES IN NORTHERN GAZA AMID ISRAEL’S ONGOING CONFLICT
WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
In Turkiye, KSrelief's volunteer medical team set a world record by
implanting 42 cochlear devices in 14 hours as part of the Saudi Sama’a
Volunteer Program in Reyhanli, reported the Saudi Press Agency. Over
the week-long campaign, the team implanted a total of 122 cochlear
devices for children, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to global
medical aid. In Sri Lanka, KSrelief recently concluded the Saudi Noor
Volunteer Project to combat blindness in Hambantota, examining 4,500
cases, distributing 600 pairs of eyeglasses, and performing 503
specialized eye surgeries.
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KSRELIEF DELIVERS WINTER AID TO YEMEN’S VULNERABLE
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has delivered dates and
winter shelter to vulnerable people in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency
reported late Thursday.
KSrelief’s volunteers distributed 100 winter bags in Thamud district,
Hadhramaut governorate, for 600 individuals from 100 vulnerable
families. These packages form part of the emergency shelter project in
Yemen. (SPA) The aid is a part of the agency’s emergency shelter project
in the country. Meanwhile, 2,459 cartons of dates were delivered in Al-
Wadi district, Marib governorate, for the benefit of 14,754 people
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SAUDI AGENCY KSRELIEF DELIVERS FOOD IN SYRIA
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed food and
hygiene kits to thousands of vulnerable people across Syria, the Saudi
Press Agency reported late Thursday. The agency’s volunteers delivered
750 food parcels and 750 hygiene kits in Al-Hasakah, Syria, benefiting
4,500 people. Meanwhile 745 Syrian families, comprising 2,652 people,
in Al-Dana, Idlib governorate, received food and hygiene kits. The aid is a
part of KSrelief’s projects to support earthquake-affected people in
northern Syria.
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SAUDI AID AGENCY KSRELIEF CONTINUES
GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS
RIYADH: THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER
(KSRELIEF) CONTINUES TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO
PEOPLE IN SYRIA, YEMEN, SUDAN AND JORDAN.
KSrelief distributed 1,321 food parcels and 1,321 hygiene kits on
Wednesday in the city of Afrin in Aleppo Governorate, benefiting 7,926
individuals.
THE ASSISTANCE IS PART OF A PROJECT ENTAILING PROVIDING AID TO
INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE IN NORTHERN SYRIA.
In Yemen, KSrelief handed out 740 food parcels in Lahij governorate. This
initiative benefited 5,180 individuals from 740 families and is part of the
food aid project to SUPPORT THE NEEDIEST FAMILIES IN YEMEN FOR
2024. KSrelief also distributed on Wednesday 280 food boxes in the city
of Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic, benefiting 1,400 individuals.
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KINGDOM ‘DOUBLING AID EFFORTS’ IN SUDAN, KSRELIEF
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Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser to the royal court and KSrelief
supervisor general, said that the Sudanese people “are working to
overcome enormous challenges, and deserve much from us.” (SPA)
NEW YORK: KSrelief has doubled its humanitarian efforts in Sudan over
the past year, THE HEAD OF THE SAUDI AID AGENCY TOLD A MEETING
HELD ON THE SIDELINES OF THE 79TH SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser to the royal court and KSrelief
supervisor general, said that the Sudanese people “are working to
overcome enormous challenges, and deserve much from us.”During the
meeting, titled “The Cost of Inaction: Urgent and Collective Support to
Scale Up the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region,” Al-
Rabeeah said that Saudi Arabia recognizes its duty toward Sudan, and
intensive efforts have been made since the beginning of the
humanitarian crisis to restore hope to its people.
“The Jeddah Declaration was the first step, aiming to ensure the
protection of civilians and the delivery of urgent relief aid. The efforts of
the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan group have also
recently helped thousands of needy people in Darfur,” he said.
“However, the recent escalation of violence in some areas has worsened
the situation, forcing millions to flee their homes, leaving behind
everything they own, and sometimes even family members. “The
Kingdom has provided over $3 billion in support to Sudan, including $132
million in humanitarian aid distributed across various geographical areas
and humanitarian sectors,” Al-Rabeeah said.
Before the crisis in April 2023, KSrelief focused on implementing
sustainable interventions. However, the worsening humanitarian
conditions have undermined these efforts, prompting a shift to providing
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immediate assistance. “KSrelief has doubled its efforts in Sudan,
implementing more than 70 humanitarian projects since April 2023 at a
cost exceeding $73 million in collaboration with UN organizations and
other humanitarian groups.”
He highlighted the series of Saudi humanitarian air and sea missions
organized by KSrelief to address urgent challenges. The missions are
funded through government and public support as part of the KSrelief
national aid campaign for the people of Sudan.
Al-Rabeeah said that despite KSrelief’s efforts, challenges persist, and
collective action is needed to provide unrestricted humanitarian aid, and
ensure a sustainable, coordinated response with safe and unhindered
access to conflict-affected areas. Concluding his speech, the KSrelief chief
said: “As a humanitarian community, we must deal with the humanitarian
crisis in Sudan away from political considerations.
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FARMERS SOUND THE ALARM AS PANTRY STAPLE CROP
BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO GROW: 'PRODUCTION
IS AT SERIOUS RISK'
One of the world's top vanilla-producing countries has seen its output
threatened by extreme heat.
What's happening?
Vanilla plants normally flourish under the canopy of trees in regions
where crops are grown in Mexico. According to the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization, the country is one of the top five producers of
vanilla. But VANILLA IS SENSITIVE TO HEAT WAVES AND DROUGHT, TWO
EXTREME TYPES OF WEATHER SEEN THIS YEAR IN MEXICO.
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"Vanilla production is at serious risk as a result of the effects caused
by climate change," said University of Veracruz professor Alejandro
Quirino Villarreal, per Modern Farmer. "ALL OF OUR PRODUCERS
ESTIMATE THAT WE LOST ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THIS YEAR'S
PRODUCE," plantation worker Arturo Elias Garcia Gonzales said.
Sustaining vanilla production is also of cultural significance to members
of the Chinantec community. Seven varieties of the spice can be found in
the Chinantla region, but the production challenges threaten that longterm
significance. "If we stop naming certain species in Chinantec
language because they are not present anymore, we start losing the
language," explained Elias Garcia Martinez.
Why are crops threatened by an overheating planet important?
MEXICO HAS MADE HEADLINES THIS YEAR, ENDURING DEVASTATING
DROUGHTS AMID RECORD-BREAKING
HEAT. EXTREME
WEATHER EXACERBATED BY A WARMING WORLD HAS IMPACTED
ANOTHER PANTRY STAPLE THIS YEAR. OLIVE OIL PRICES
HAVE SURGED AS PRODUCTION DROPPED IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
IN SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE.
A study released this spring detailed how GLOBAL HEATING RAISES THE
PRICE OF ESSENTIAL FOOD AND KEEPS PEOPLE FROM EATING
HEALTHILY. AFRICA IS ONE PART OF THE WORLD THAT IS EXPECTED TO
BE HIT THE HARDEST. THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM USA RANKS
MADAGASCAR SECOND ON ITS LIST OF COUNTRIES MOST AFFECTED BY
CLIMATE CHANGE.
"CLIMATE CHANGE CAN DISRUPT FOOD AVAILABILITY, REDUCE ACCESS
TO FOOD, AND AFFECT FOOD QUALITY. FOR EXAMPLE, PROJECTED
INCREASES IN TEMPERATURES, CHANGES IN PRECIPITATION PATTERNS,
CHANGES IN EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, AND REDUCTIONS IN WATER
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AVAILABILITY MAY ALL RESULT IN REDUCED AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTIVITY," according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
"INCREASES IN THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF EXTREME WEATHER
EVENTS CAN ALSO INTERRUPT FOOD DELIVERY, AND RESULTING SPIKES
IN FOOD PRICES AFTER EXTREME EVENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MORE
FREQUENT IN THE FUTURE. INCREASING TEMPERATURES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO SPOILAGE AND CONTAMINATION."
The National Park Service says the changing climate exacerbates
stressors that compromise plant resilience, disrupting forest structure
and the ecosystems they support. The adverse effects of this include
lowered productivity, altered ecosystem structure, vulnerability to pests,
and the spread of invasive plants.
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'A HARBINGER OF WHAT'S TO COME:' NASA SATELLITES
SHOW MASSIVE DROP IN GLOBAL FRESHWATER LEVELS
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EARTH'S TOTAL FRESH WATER HAS PLUMMETED TO AN ALARMING
NEW LOW, AND IT COULD BE A SIGN THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS
PUSHING THE WORLD INTO A DANGEROUS PHASE OF GLOBAL DRYING,
according to a new study.SINCE 2015, OUR PLANET'S LAKES, RIVERS AND
AQUIFERS HAVE LOST 290 CUBIC MILES (1,200 CUBIC KM) OF FRESH
WATER, THE EQUIVALENT OF EMPTYING LAKE ERIE TWO AND A HALF
TIMES.
This drop coincided with a 2014 to 2016 period of El Niño warming.
Scientists typically expect freshwater levels to rebound after the climate
oscillation ends, but satellite measurements, made up to 2023, reveal
that the FRESHWATER LEVELS HAVE YET TO RECOVER — AND MAY
NEVER COME BACK. "WE DON'T THINK THIS IS A COINCIDENCE, AND IT
COULD BE A HARBINGER OF WHAT'S TO COME," study lead
author Matthew Rodell, a hydrologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center, said in a statement.
The researchers published their findings Nov. 4 in the journal Surveys in
Geophysics.
Related: Will the US run out of water?
AS CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES TEMPERATURES TO RISE AROUND THE
GLOBE, WATER EVAPORATES MORE READILY FROM ITS SURFACES, AND
THE ATMOSPHERE GAINS AN EVER INCREASING CAPACITY TO ABSORB
IT. THIS MEANS THAT WHEN DOWNPOURS DO OCCUR, THEY ARE MORE
TORRENTIAL — DUMPING MORE RAIN IN FASTER AND MORE
POWERFUL STORMS THAT ARE MORE LIKELY TO RUN OFF THAN TO SEEP
INTO DRIER AND MORE COMPACT SURFACES. This issue, alongside
destructive land use and the mismanagement of water resources, means
that NEARLY 3 BILLION PEOPLE AND OVERHALF OF GLOBAL FOOD
PRODUCTION ARE FACING "UNPRECEDENTED STRESS" ON THEIR
WATER SYSTEMS, according to one recent study.
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To investigate the extent of our planet's drying, the researchers behind
the new study turned to two pairs of satellites that orbit above the North
Pole. The satellites measured water levels by detecting the minute
fluctuations that water's mass produces to Earth's gravitational field.
By precisely measuring the changes to the tugs of Earth's gravity from
2015 to 2023, the scientists found that the 290 cubic miles of water that
was lost from the world's surface during the last El Niño never returned,
and that 13 OF THE WORLD'S 30 MOST INTENSE DROUGHTS SEEN BY
THE SATELLITES TOOK PLACE SINCE JANUARY 2015.
The result is an ominous one. The satellites used in the study are set to
produce six more years of readings before they are retired. Whether
fresh water will rebound to pre-2015 levels during that period, stay at the
same value or continue to decline remains unclear. But the researchers
are far from hopeful. "There is much debate and little consensus about
how patterns of wetting and drying will manifest in a warming world,"
they wrote in the study. "Hence, it is difficult to evaluate whether the
observed patterns are consistent with predictions and likely to persist.
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2024 ‘VIRTUALLY CERTAIN’ TO BE HOTTEST
YEAR ON RECORD: EU MONITOR
PARIS: THIS YEAR IS “VIRTUALLY CERTAIN” TO BE THE HOTTEST IN
RECORDED HISTORY WITH WARMING ABOVE 1.5C, EU CLIMATE
MONITOR COPERNICUS SAID THURSDAY, DAYS BEFORE NATIONS ARE
DUE TO GATHER FOR CRUNCH UN CLIMATE TALKS.
The European agency said THE WORLD WAS PASSING A “NEW
MILESTONE” OF TEMPERATURE RECORDS that should serve to
accelerate action to cut planet-heating emissions at the UN negotiations
in Azerbaijan next week. Last month, marked by DEADLY FLOODING IN
SPAIN AND HURRICANE MILTON IN THE UNITED STATES, WAS THE
SECOND HOTTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD, WITH AVERAGE GLOBAL
TEMPERATURES SECOND ONLY TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 2023.
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Copernicus said 2024 would likely be more than 1.55 degrees Celsius
above the 1850-1900 average — the period before the industrial-scale
burning of fossil fuels. This does not amount to a breach of the Paris deal,
which strives to limit global warming to below 2C and preferably 1.5C,
because that is measured over decades and not individual years.
“IT IS NOW VIRTUALLY CERTAIN THAT 2024 WILL BE THE WARMEST
YEAR ON RECORD AND THE FIRST YEAR OF MORE THAN 1.5C ABOVE
PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS,” said Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. “This marks a new milestone in
global temperature records and should serve as a catalyst to raise
ambition for the upcoming Climate Change Conference, COP29.”
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The UN climate negotiations in Azerbaijan, which will set the stage for a
new round of crucial carbon-cutting targets, will take place in the wake
of the United States election victory by Donald Trump.Trump, a climate
change denier, pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement during his first
presidency — and while his successor Joe Biden took the United States
back in, he has threatened to do so again.
Meanwhile, average global temperatures have reached new peaks, as
have concentrations of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere.
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Scientists say the safer 1.5C limit is rapidly slipping out of reach, while
stressing that every tenth of a degree of temperature rise heralds
progressively more damaging impacts.
Last month the UN said the current pace of climate action would result
in a catastrophic 3.1C of warming this century, while all current climate
pledges taken in full would still amount to a devastating 2.6C
temperature rise.
GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT JUST ABOUT RISING TEMPERATURES, BUT
THE KNOCK-ON EFFECT OF ALL THE EXTRA HEAT IN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND SEAS. WARMER AIR CAN HOLD MORE WATER VAPOR, AND
WARMER OCEANS MEAN GREATER EVAPORATION, RESULTING IN MORE
INTENSE DOWNPOURS AND STORMS.
In a month of weather extremes, OCTOBER SAW ABOVE-AVERAGE
RAINFALL ACROSS SWATHES OF EUROPE, AS WELL AS PARTS OF CHINA,
THE US, BRAZIL AND AUSTRALIA, COPERNICUS SAID. THE US IS ALSO
EXPERIENCING ONGOING DROUGHT, WHICH AFFECTED RECORD
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, THE EU MONITOR ADDED.
COPERNICUS SAID AVERAGE SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE AREA
IT MONITORS WERE THE SECOND HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR THE
MONTH OF OCTOBER. C3S uses billions of measurements from satellites,
ships, aircraft and weather stations to aid its calculations.
Copernicus records go back to 1940 but other sources of climate data
such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons allow scientists to expand
their conclusions using evidence from much deeper in the past.
Climate scientists say the period being lived through right now is likely
the warmest the earth has been for the last 100,000 years, back at the
start of the last Ice Age.
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CLIMATE CHANGE IS A KEY DRIVER OF WORLDWIDE HUNGER
BAKU: CLIMATE CHANGE IS DANGEROUSLY IMPACTING CROPS AND
DRIVING WORLDWIDE HUNGER, according to the head of the
International Fund of Agricultural Development.
“FOOD SECURITY IS INTERTWINED WITH THE CURRENT EXTREME
WEATHER EVENTS, AS IT HAS IMPACTED THE WORLD,” IFAD President
Alvaro Lario said in an interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the
COP29 UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.IFAD reported that in
2023, ABOUT 735 MILLION PEOPLE SUFFERED FROM HUNGER CAUSED
BY CLIMATE CHANGE. IN ADDITION, UNUSUAL RAINFALLS, ACCORDING
TO IFAD, CAUSED A DECREASE IN WHEAT PRODUCTION AND FOOD
QUALITY IN EUROPE.
FLOODS AND HEAT WAVES CAUSED DAMAGE TO ORANGE CROPS IN
BRAZIL. IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, ABOVE-AVERAGE TEMPERATURES LED
TO BELOW-AVERAGE MAIZE HARVESTS, AND IN PARTS OF WEST AFRICA,
ERRATIC RAINS AFFECTED COCOA PRODUCTION AND CUT OUTPUT BY
HALF.
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“WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF THE CROPS ARE FULLY BEING IMPACTED IN
BRAZIL, WHICH HAS BEEN HIT BY A HISTORIC DROUGHT, OR IN GHANA,
FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH RAIN, CUTTING
THE COCOA PRODUCTION BY HALF.”
The IFAD is a UN specialized agency as well as a development finance
institution. The organization provides concessional funds and grants to
countries and invests in the private sector. The organization’s key focus is
to provide livelihoods and raise income as well as production in low- and
middle-income countries. “Our biggest investments are in the Sub-
Saharan region. Fifty-five percent of our funding goes to Sub-Saharan
Africa, and up to 60 percent into Africa. But we also operate in the Middle
East, Asia, and Latin America. We are currently investing in 90 countries,”
said Lario.
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS ONE OF THE MAIN CONTRIBUTORS
TO IFAD. ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATION, SAUDI ARABIA HAS
CONTRIBUTED OVER $536 MILLION TO IFAD SINCE IT STARTED AND IS
AMONG THE TOP 10 DONORS. IN THE LAST 10 YEARS ALONE, THE
KINGDOM HAS CONTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF $96.6 MILLION.
IFAD implemented the first phase of a project to support coffee and
mango farmers in the Jazan region. From 2018 to 2023, the project
established 50 model coffee farms and five mango farms in the region,
which benefited nearly 30,000 smallholder farmers, according to IFAD.
“SMALL-STATE ISLANDS ARE AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE (TO
CLIMATE CHANGE),” SAID LARIO. “WE ARE SEEING THAT SEA LEVELS ARE
RISING. THEY ARE ALSO SUFFERING FROM HURRICANES AND LONG
DROUGHTS. THEY SUFFER FROM ACCESS TO POTABLE DRINKING
WATER.”
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https://nightwatchman.blog/2024/11/09/an-example-of-how-the-markof-the-beast-will-work-in-places-of-food-shortages-25m-nigerian-poorget-cash-payments-enabled-by-digital-id-a-foreshadow-of-universalbasic-income-nigeria-looks-to-m/
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NEARLY 100 FOOD AID TRUCKS VIOLENTLY
LOOTED IN GAZA, UN AGENCIES SAY
GENEVA/CAIRO (Reuters) -NEARLY 100 TRUCKS CARRYING FOOD FOR
PALESTINIANS WERE VIOLENTLY LOOTED ON NOV. 16 AFTER ENTERING
GAZA IN ONE OF THE WORST AID LOSSES DURING 13 MONTHS OF WAR
IN THE ENCLAVE, WHERE HUNGER IS DEEPENING, TWO U.N. AGENCIES
TOLD REUTERS ON MONDAY.
The convoy transporting food provided by U.N. agencies UNRWA and the
World Food Programme was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice
via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom border crossing, said Louise
Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer. NINETY-EIGHT OF THE 109
TRUCKS IN THE CONVOY WERE RAIDED AND SOME OF THE
TRANSPORTERS WERE INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT, she said,
without detailing who carried out the ambush. "This ... highlights the
severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central
Gaza," she told Reuters.
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"⁠THE URGENCY OF THE CRISIS CANNOT BE OVERSTATED; WITHOUT
IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION, SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGES ARE SET TO
WORSEN, FURTHER ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF OVER TWO MILLION
PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON HUMANITARIAN AID TO SURVIVE."
The Hamas TV channel Al-Aqsa quoted Hamas interior ministry sources
in Gaza as saying that over 20 gang members involved in looting aid
trucks were killed during an operation carried out by Hamas security
forces in coordination with tribal committees. It said anyone caught
aiding such looting would be treated with "an iron fist". A WFP
spokesperson confirmed the looting and said that many routes in Gaza
were currently impassable due to security issues.
An Israeli official said Israel had been working to address the
humanitarian situation since the start of its war against Hamas, adding
that the main problem with aid deliveries was U.N. distribution
challenges. A U.N. aid official said on Friday that access for aid to Gaza
had reached a low point, with deliveries to parts of the Israeli-besieged
north of the enclave all but impossible. Israel's devastating military
campaign in Gaza was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks in
southern Israel.
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LOOTING DEEPENS GAZA MISERY AS FAMINE LOOMS
NICOSIA (Reuters) - A humanitarian disaster in Gaza is being deepened
by A TOTAL BREAKDOWN IN LAW AND ORDER and the conflict between
Israel and Hamas is rendering the enclave uninhabitable, a senior official
of the main U.N. aid agency there, UNRWA, said on Friday.
UNRWA official Natalie Boucly also said arrest warrants issued against
senior Israeli politicians as well as a leader of Hamas by an international
tribunal meant there would be a reckoning for the suffering inflicted on
millions.
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"BASICALLY THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF GAZA ARE IN DESPERATE NEED
OF ASSISTANCE AMID A LOOMING FAMINE," said Boucly, UNRWA's
deputy commissioner-general, programmes and partnerships.
Israel's parliament passed a law last month that will ban UNRWA from
operating in the country when it takes effect in late January. UNRWA
Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has said its implementation
"will have catastrophic consequences."
Speaking at a conference in Cyprus, Boucly said 500 TRUCKS OF PRE-WAR
AID ENTERING THE PALESTINIAN ENCLAVE DAILY HAD NOW FALLEN TO
37, WITH THOSE SUPPLIES NOW AT RISK OF LOOTING BY CRIMINAL
GANGS.
Nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted on
Nov. 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst aid losses during 13
months of war in the enclave. "Gaza has become uninhabitable," she
said, calling the situation a failure of humanity. "There has to be
accountability for all the grave violations of international law that are
occurring. The issuance of the ICC arrest warrants yesterday against three
individuals is the start of that accountability," she said.
The International Criminal Court issued warrants on Thursday for the
arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence
minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military leader Ibrahim Al-Masri,
commonly known as Mohammed Deif, for alleged war crimes and crimes
against humanity. Israel says Hamas is to blame for all harm to Gaza's
civilians, for operating among them, which the Palestinian group denies.
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GAZANS SCRAMBLE FOR FOOD AFTER AID TRUCKS LOOTED
https://youtu.be/1Er0UwWOb_4
STORY: At a soup kitchen in Khan Younis on Tuesday, these PALESTINIANS
HELD OUT EMPTY POTS HOPING FOR MEALS OF COOKED RICE. On
Tuesday, dozens of Palestinians held a funeral for a member of Hamas
security forces who died a day earlier in clashes with looters of food aid
trucks. Gazan Diyaa Al-nasasra said everyone is against the bandits and
looters, but PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED TO BUY FROM THEM.
"YOU ARE, AGAINST YOUR WILL, OBLIGED TO BUY A FLOUR BAG FROM
A THIEF FOR $53, WHICH IS LOWER THAN ITS NORMAL PRICE WHICH
HAS NOW REACHED $120 TO $133, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PAY $133 FOR
A BAG OF FLOUR." BEFORE THE WAR, A SACK OF FLOUR SOLD FOR $10
OR $15.
In the West Bank, the head of the haulers union, Adel Amr, said he’s
concerned about his drivers making the trip to Gaza. “Of course, we get
worried for the Gazan driver that comes to transfer the aids, and which
are not merchandise, so he leaves his home risking his life not knowing if
he will go back home from gangs and the thieves, and the armed gangs
in Gaza." Amr said he was also concerned the supplies they bring in will
never make it to the people who need it.
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CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING TEMPERATURES DEADLIER,
FOOD LESS RELIABLE, EXPERTS WARN
A DRONE VIEW SHOWS PEOPLE CARRYING FOOD AND WATER
DELIVERED BY THE CIVIL DEFENSE TO THE ISOLATED VILLAGES AT THE
DRY LAKE PURAQUEQUARA DURING THE MOST INTENSE AND
WIDESPREAD DROUGHT BRAZIL HAS EXPERIENCED SINCE RECORDS
BEGAN IN 1950 IN SAN FRANCISCO DO MAINA IN MANAUS, AMAZONAS
STATE, BRAZIL, OCTOBER 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, is raising temperatures to
dangerous new heights, while also worsening drought and food security,
a new report by doctors and health experts warned on Tuesday.
THE RECORD TEMPERATURES OF 2023 — THE HOTTEST YEAR ON
RECORD — MEANT THE AVERAGE PERSON EXPERIENCED 50 MORE DAYS
OF DANGEROUS TEMPERATURES than they would have without climate
change, according to the Lancet Countdown, an annual report based on
work by dozens of experts, academic institutions, and UN agencies,
including the World Health Organization.
Especially vulnerable are the elderly, with THE NUMBER OF HEAT-
RELATED DEATHS IN PEOPLE OVER 65 LAST YEAR REACHING A LEVEL 167
PERCENT ABOVE THE NUMBER OF SUCH DEATHS IN THE 1990S. Without
climate change, researchers would have expected that number to rise by
65 percent from the 1990s, the report said.
“Year on year, the deaths directly associated with climate change are
increasing,” said Marina Belén Romanello, executive director of the
Lancet Countdown. “But heat is also affecting not just the mortality and
increasing deaths, but also increasing the diseases and the pathologies
associated with heat exposure,” she said.
For example, people who exercise outdoors are increasingly at risk, she
said. Companies are facing limited capacity for working outdoors. In fact,
last year’s extreme heat cost the world an estimated 512 billion potential
labor hours, worth hundreds of billions of dollars in potential income, the
report said.
“Similar to what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is key workers
who tend to be most exposed and unable to shield as easily during
heatwaves, such as those working in one of our many hospitals without
air conditioning, or outdoor construction workers,” said data scientist
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Nathan Cheetham at King’s College London in a statement. Cheetham
was not involved in the study.
Climate change is also making food more unreliable, the authors warned.
WITH UP TO 48 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S LAND AREA FACING
EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS LAST YEAR, THE RESEARCHERS SAID,
ABOUT 151 MILLION MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE EXPERIENCING FOOD
INSECURITY AS A RESULT, compared with the years 1981-2010.
EXTREME RAINFALL LAST YEAR ALSO AFFECTED ROUGHLY 60 PERCENT
OF LANDS, UNLEASHING FLOODS AND RAISING RISKS FROM WATER
CONTAMINATION OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The study’s authors urged the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29, to
direct climate finance toward public health. The COP29 talks begin Nov.
11 in Baku, Azerbaijan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on
Tuesday called on countries to “cure the sickness of climate inaction” by
slashing fossil fuel use and emissions in order “to create a fairer, safer,
and healthier future for all.”
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RUSSIA IS LOCKING UP BUTTER AS INFLATION
CRISIS REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
Americans have spent the last few years complaining about inflation. But
PRICE RISES IN RUSSIA ARE EYE-WATERING BY COMPARISON – AND
JUST ONE SYMPTOM OF AN ECONOMY THAT IS OVERHEATING.
BUTTER, SOME MEATS, AND ONIONS ARE ABOUT 25% MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN A YEAR AGO, according to official data. SOME
SUPERMARKETS HAVE TAKEN TO KEEPING BUTTER IN LOCKED
CABINETS: RUSSIAN SOCIAL MEDIA HAS SHOWN STOCKS BEING
STOLEN.
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The overall inflation rate is just shy of 10%, much higher than the central
bank anticipated.
Inflation is being driven by the rapid rise in wages as the Kremlin pours
billions into military industries and sends millions of men to fight in
Ukraine. In the middle of a war, companies outside the defense sector
can’t compete for workers without paying much higher wages. In turn,
they charge higher prices. So the spiral continues.
“PRICES ARE RISING BECAUSE OF THE WAR,” Alexandra Prokopenko at
the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin told CNN. “DEMAND IN THE
ECONOMY IS DISTORTED IN FAVOR OF UNPRODUCTIVE SPENDING.
WAGES RISE BECAUSE EMPLOYERS HAVE TO COMPETE FOR LABOR.”
Other economists dub this as growth without development. National
income grows, but there is no broad improvement to health, education,
technology and infrastructure.
In an effort to cool inflation, the central bank raised its key interest rate
in October to a record high of 21%. But an influential group of Russian
economists said on Telegram this week that “increased inflationary
pressure will not only persist but may even increase.”
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that the Russian
economy needs nearly 1 million new workers because of an
unemployment rate of only 2.4%, or “virtually no unemployment,” as he
put it.
Putin described Russia’s labor shortage as “currently one of the main
obstacles to our economic growth.”
“We have about half a million people in construction - the industry will
take 600,000 people and not even notice,” he told a think tank summit
this month. Manufacturing needed at least 250,000 more people, he
said.
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High labor costs and interest rates are squeezing companies. Russia’s Alfa
Bank said last month that “COMPANIES ARE ALREADY HAVING A HARD
TIME, AND WITH THE (CENTRAL BANK) RATE INCREASED TO 21%, IT
WILL BECOME EVEN MORE DIFFICULT, SO WE DO NOT RULE OUT THE
RISK OF INCREASED BANKRUPTCIES.”
Along with most economists, Alfa expects the central bank rate to rise to
23% next month. At the heart of the overheating is the Kremlin’s
spending. THE MILITARY BUDGET WILL RISE BY NEARLY A QUARTER IN
2025, AMOUNTING TO ONE-THIRD OF ALL STATE SPENDING AND 6.3
PER CENT OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. ADD IN OTHER SO-CALLED
“NATIONAL SECURITY” SPENDING, AND IT AMOUNTS TO 40% OF THE
FEDERAL BUDGET.
According to the draft budget published in September, defense spending
next year will be at least double social spending, which includes benefits
and pensions.
Crisis? What crisis?
Analysts don’t see the Russian economy as tumbling over a precipice but
instead as a slowly gathering crisis.
“With a steady stream of commodity revenues, a competent economic
team and escalating repression at home, the Kremlin can continue
funding its war effort for the foreseeable future,” Prokopenko said.
The International Monetary Fund expects Russian GDP to rise 3.6% this
year, compared with its 2.8% forecast for the United States.
International sanctions have not delivered a knock-out blow. Russia has
evaded sanctions by importing Western technology through third
countries, especially through central Asia and Turkey.
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And despite all those Western sanctions, EU imports from Russia still
totaled nearly $50 billion last year.
The Russian state continues to reap the benefits of exporting oil and gas
to India and China, largely through a shadow fleet of ships that evade a
$60 per barrel price cap that Western governments have tried to impose.
At home, state receipts are rising, especially through sales tax as Russians
spend more.
According to Russia’s State Statistics Service, incomes adjusted for
inflation rose 5.8% last year as companies chased workers.
For millions of Russians working overtime, especially in IT, construction
and manufacturing, times are good. And the wealthy who used to spend
much of their money in European resorts are now spending it at home,
further stimulating the economy.
Families are also benefiting from higher pay and bonuses paid to men
recruited into the armed forces. Russian contract soldiers are paid nearly
three times the average wage and receive a signing-on bonus of
anywhere between $4,000 and $22,000.
If they are killed in combat, there is a further payout to their families of
well over $100,000 depending on the region, leading a Russian
economist in exile, Vladislav Inozemtsev, to conjure the phrase
“deathonomics.” All this cash is helping to drive a spending spree far from
the front lines. Official figures show much higher spending on domestic
tourism and leisure.
But not all benefit from rising incomes.
Public sector workers, including doctors and teachers, as well as
pensioners and social benefit recipients, are the hardest hit by rising
prices, Prokopenko said.
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And there is no quick fix to the chronic labor crunch.
Russia has traditionally turned to central Asia for unskilled labor, and
Putin recently suggested more foreign workers are needed. In 2023, 4.5
million foreign workers came to Russia, mainly from central Asia. Then
came a wave of Russian xenophobia following the terror attack in
Moscow last March.
“Immigration from Central Asia could therefore fall short of expectations
in 2024,” Prokopenko said, “especially as Russia is also competing with
the Middle East and South Korea for Central Asian workers. Russia has
virtually nowhere else to find new workers.”
And its longer-term demographics are bleak.
The United Nations expects the Russian population to shrink to 142
million by 2030 from just under 145 million now. Its average age is also
increasing: Over a fifth of the population is now age 60. The UK Defense
Ministry estimated that some 1.3 million people left Russia in 2022, when
Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aggravating a 15-year
trend of a shrinking workforce. Many of those who left were young
professionals.
While it is difficult to be precise about the exodus, the Atlantic Council
noted that “if 700,000 Russians now registered as living in Dubai is any
indication, the émigrés may number far more than 1 million.”
Despite its surprising resilience over the past few years, the Russian
economy is still vulnerable to shocks in an uncertain global environment.
Lower commodity prices, a slowdown in Chinese demand for Russian oil
and trade wars would all have an impact.
And when the war ends, Russia will have to adapt to a post-war economy,
curbing state spending, reintegrating huge numbers of demobilized
soldiers and reorientating companies away from feeding military
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industries. The big Russian cities are enjoying the fruits of a wartime
economy, but there may be a reckoning ahead.
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THOUSANDS OF UK FARMERS DESCEND ON PARLIAMENT TO
PROTEST A TAX THEY SAY WILL RUIN FAMILY FARMS
Britain Farmers Protest
Seth James, left, and Eddie England, right, accompanied with their
parents, attend a farmers protest to urge the government to change
course over its inheritance tax plans, in London, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — With banners, bullhorns and toy tractors, THOUSANDS
OF BRITISH FARMERS DESCENDED ON PARLIAMENT ON TUESDAY TO
PROTEST A TAX HIKE THEY SAY WILL DEAL A “HAMMER BLOW” TO
STRUGGLING FAMILY FARMS.
U.K. FARMERS ARE RARELY AS MILITANT AS THEIR EUROPEAN
NEIGHBORS, AND BRITAIN HAS NOT SEEN LARGE-SCALE PROTESTS LIKE
THOSE THAT HAVE SNARLED CITIES IN FRANCE AND OTHER EUROPEAN
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COUNTRIES. NOW, THOUGH, FARMERS SAY THEY WILL STEP UP THEIR
ACTION IF THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T LISTEN.
The flashpoint is the government’s decision in its budget last month
to scrap a tax break dating from the 1990s that exempts agricultural
property from inheritance tax. From April 2026, farms worth more than
1 million pounds ($1.3 million) face a 20% tax when the owner dies and
they are passed on to the next generation.
“Everyone’s mad,” said Olly Harrison, co-organizer of a protest that
flooded the streets around Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Downing Street
office. He said many “want to take to the streets and block roads and go
full French.”
Organizers urged protesters not to bring farm machinery into central
London, though a handful of tractors drove past Downing Street
festooned with SIGNS SAYING “THE FINAL STRAW” AND “NO FARMERS,
NO FOOD.”
They were cheered by a crowd that police estimated at 13,000. Some
held signs proclaiming “Stand with a farmer, not Starmer.” Children on
toy tractors looped round Parliament Square after a rally addressed by
speakers including former “Top Gear” TV host and celebrity farmer
Jeremy Clarkson. Another 1,800 farmers were invited into Parliament for
a “mass lobby” organized by the National Farmers’ Union.
“THE HUMAN IMPACT OF THIS POLICY IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE, IT’S
WRONG," NFU President Tom Bradshaw said. “IT’S KICKING THE LEGS
OUT FROM UNDER BRITISH FOOD SECURITY."
VOLATILE WEATHER EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL
INSTABILITY AND THE UPHEAVAL CAUSED BY BRITAIN’S
2020 DEPARTURE FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION HAVE ALL ADDED TO
THE BURDEN ON FARMERS. Many feel the Labour Party government’s
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tax change, part of an effort to raise billions of pounds to fund public
services, is the last straw.
“FOUR OUT OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE LOST MONEY,” said
Harrison, a fifth-generation farmer who grows cereal crops near
Liverpool in northwest England. “The only thing that’s kept me going is
doing it for my kids. And maybe a little bit of appreciation on the land
allows you to keep borrowing, to keep going. But now that’s just
disappeared overnight.”
Starmer’s center-left government says the “vast majority” of farms -–
about 75% — will not have to pay inheritance tax, and various loopholes
mean that a farming couple can pass on an estate worth up to 3 million
pounds ($3.9 million) to their children tax-free. The 20% levy is half the
40% inheritance tax paid on other land and property in the U.K.
Starmer spokeswoman Camilla Marshall said the tax decision had been
“difficult” but was not being reconsidered.
Supporters of the tax say it will recoup money from wealthy people who
have bought up agricultural land as an investment, driving up the cost of
farmland.
“It’s become the most effective way for the super rich to avoid paying
their inheritance tax,” Environment Secretary Steve Reed wrote in The
Daily Telegraph, adding that high land prices were “robbing young
farmers of the dream of owning their own farm.”
But THE FARMERS’ UNION SAYS MORE THAN 60% OF WORKING FARMS
COULD FACE A TAX HIT. And while farms may be worth a lot on paper,
profits are often small. Government figures show that INCOME FOR
MOST TYPES OF FARMS FELL IN THE YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 2024, IN
SOME CASES BY MORE THAN 70%. Average farm income ranged from
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about 17,000 pounds ($21,000) for grazing livestock farms to 143,000
pounds ($180,000) for specialist poultry farms.
The last decade has been turbulent. Many British farmers backed Brexit
as a chance to get out of the EU’s complex and much-criticized Common
Agricultural Policy. Since then, the U.K. has brought in changes such as
paying farmers to restore nature and promote biodiversity, as well as for
producing food.
Some farmers have welcomed those moves, but many feel goodwill was
squandered through bureaucratic bungling — by previous Conservative
governments as well as Starmer's Labour administration — alongside a
failure of subsidies to keep up with inflation and new trade deals with
countries including Australia and New Zealand that have opened the
door to cheap imports.
National Farmers’ Union Deputy President David Exwood said the
government has “completely blown their trust with the industry.”
Heidi Fermor, who helps run her family’s fruit, vegetable and arable farm
in southeast England, said she was attending her first protest because
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD “NO IDEA” ABOUT THE REALITY OF
FARMERS’ LIVES.
“Farming is hard. We’re very privileged, we have a lovely life, but it’s
hard," she said. "We want to farm for life, for future generations, not just
for today.”
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G20 TAKES ON HUNGER
RIO’S G20 SUMMIT KICKED OFF WITH AN INITIATIVE TO TACKLE ONE OF
HUMANITY’S OLDEST CHALLENGES: HUNGER. LULA, AS HE IS
COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN, LAUNCHED THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE AGAINST
HUNGER AND POVERTY, A MATCHMAKING PLATFORM CONNECTING
COUNTRIES WITH POLICIES, PARTNERS, AND FUNDING TO ELIMINATE
HUNGER.
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“Hunger and poverty is not the result of scarcity,” Lula said, emphasizing
that hunger is “the biological expression of social evil.” His message
resonated as 82 countries, 26 international organizations, and 40
financial institutions signed on to the alliance. “It’s about political
decisions,” he added.
THE ALLIANCE’S FOCUS IS AMBITIOUS: CASH TRANSFERS FOR 500
MILLION PEOPLE, school meals for 150 million students, and support for
small-scale farmers and maternal health. Nations such as Nigeria,
Bangladesh, and Togo are already stepping up with commitments ranging
from expanded school meals to CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS, AND
GLOBAL HEAVYWEIGHTS SUCH AS GERMANY AND THE GATES
FOUNDATION HAVE PLEDGED TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
At its heart, the alliance aims to scale proven solutions. Lula pointed to
Brazil’s own success: halving hunger and malnutrition rates through
social programs two decades ago. Now, the alliance seeks to replicate
such wins worldwide by linking countries with resources such as World
Bank loans or NGO expertise, my colleague Elissa Miolene writes.
The challenge? Turning promises into action. Financial gaps remain
daunting, and experts stress the need for coordinated funding through
mechanisms such as the World Bank’s International Development
Association replenishment. Still, optimism runs high.
“We already know how to eliminate hunger,” Andrea Polo Galante
of World Vision said. “This alliance connects the dots between what’s
proven to work and the resources to make it happen.”
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BRAZIL LAUNCHES GLOBAL ANTI-HUNGER
ALLIANCE BEFORE G20 SUMMIT
Brazilian Pataxo indigenous people attend the GLOBAL ALLIANCE
AGAINST HUNGER AND POVERTY FESTIVAL on the sidelines of the G20
summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil November 14, 2024.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Brazil launched the Global Alliance
for Hunger and Poverty on Friday at the G20 Summit in Rio, a Brazilian
government official said, with an initial 41 participating members
PLEDGING TO LIFT 500 MILLION PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY THROUGH
CASH TRANSFERS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS.
THE INITIATIVE BRINGS TOGETHER DEVELOPED NATIONS, NGOS, AND
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO DONATE MONEY AND EXPERTISE TO
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COUNTRIES IN NEED. THE INTENTION IS TO REMOVE ALL NATIONS
FROM THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION'S (FAO) HUNGER
MAP BY 2030.
Leaders of the G20 group of largest economies meet in Rio de Janeiro on
Monday and Tuesday for their annual summit hosted by Brazil, whose
government has MADE FIGHTING WORLD HUNGER A PRIORITY ALONG
WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND REFORMING MULTILATERAL
GOVERNANCE.
Brazilian Minister of Social Development Wellington Dias told Reuters on
Thursday that THE ALLIANCE IS LIKELY TO REACH ITS 100-COUNTRY
TARGET IN THE COMING MONTHS, WITH MORE THAN 50 NATIONS
CURRENTLY PREPARING PLANS TO JOIN.
"They have to present a plan with efficient, well-known projects that
effectively reduce poverty," Dias said.
The official acknowledged existing mistrust between donors and
recipients, citing concerns over concrete results and broken promises.
"There's a mistrust of UN bodies," he said, adding that developed
countries are perceived as doing too little. "So we need to create a buzz,
and that's what we're doing," he added.
Dias said the issue was not lack of funds, AS THE WORLD INVESTS
AROUND $100 BILLION A YEAR TO FIGHT POVERTY AND HUNGER.
The problem is that investments are too fragmented and inefficiently
allocated, he said. The World Bank estimates $179 billion will be needed
to reach the target by 2030, he added.
PROPOSED INITIATIVES INCLUDE EXPANDING CASH TRANSFER
PROGRAMS TO REACH 500 MILLION PEOPLE, PROVIDING SCHOOL
MEALS TO AN ADDITIONAL 150 MILLION CHILDREN AND ASSISTING 200
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MILLION CHILDREN UP TO AGE 6 AND PREGNANT WOMEN WITH
HEALTH PROGRAMS.
Countries such as Brazil, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Chile, Indonesia, and
the Dominican Republic have already presented their plans. Donors
include Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, the
European Union, and institutions such as the World Bank, FAO, and World
Food Programme.
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SAUDI ARABIA HIGHLIGHTS GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN
EFFORTS AT G20 PARLIAMENTARY SUMMIT IN BRAZIL
RIYADH: Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Sulami, deputy speaker of Saudi Arabia’s
Shoura Council, commended Brazil’s initiative to launch the Global
Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty, AFFIRMING THAT SAUDI
ARABIA HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE SINCE MAY 2024, THE
SAUDI PRESS AGENCY REPORTED.
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This came during the 10th Summit of G20 Parliamentary Speakers held
in Brasilia, Brazil, focusing on the theme “PARLIAMENTS FOR A FAIR
WORLD AND A SUSTAINABLE PLANET.”
Al-Sulami led the Kingdom’s delegation at the international gathering,
REVEALING THAT RIYADH WOULD HOST THE UN CONFERENCE ON LAND
AND DROUGHT IN DECEMBER.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER ELABORATED ON SAUDI ARABIA’S
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING POVERTY AND HUNGER
THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SHOURA
COUNCIL, WHICH HAVE CREATED A SOCIAL SAFETY NET THROUGH
VARIOUS SUPPORT PROGRAMS, THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT BANK,
AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT, SAUDI ARABIA’S HUMANITARIAN
CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL, SPA REPORTED. FROM 1975
TO 2024, THE KINGDOM PROVIDED NEARLY $133 BILLION IN
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, REACHING 171 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.
THIS AID HAS SUPPORTED OVER 7,090 HUMANITARIAN AND
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. CURRENTLY, THE KING SALMAN
HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTRE MANAGES 1,700 PROJECTS
AIMED AT COMBATING HUNGER AND POVERTY AROUND THE WORLD.
Al-Sulami highlighted Saudi Arabia’s commitment to workplace equality
through its adoption of ILO Conventions 100 and 111. The Kingdom’s laws
ensure equal pay and employment opportunities, with no discrimination
between men and women in jobs and wages. These efforts have yielded
significant results, with female participation in the labor market reaching
37 percent by 2023, exceeding expectations set in the Kingdom’s Vision
2030.
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The Kingdom has also provided $187 million in urgent relief to Gaza,
along with $1.6 billion in development and humanitarian assistance,
according to SPA.
SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHED THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR THE TWO-STATE
SOLUTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ARAB AND ISLAMIC
COUNTRIES, THE EU, AND NORWAY, HOSTING ITS FIRST MEETING IN
RIYADH ON OCT. 30, 2024. FOLLOWING THE EXTRAORDINARY ARAB-
ISLAMIC SUMMIT HELD IN RIYADH ON NOV. 11, 2023, THE KINGDOM
ANNOUNCED ANOTHER EDITION OF THE SUMMIT SCHEDULED FOR
NOV. 11, 2024. These efforts aim to achieve an immediate ceasefire, end
the Israeli occupation, PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE,
AND ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE WITH EAST
JERUSALEM AS ITS CAPITAL, IN LINE WITH UN SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTIONS.
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FAMINE-HIT SUDAN CAMP GETS FIRST AID CONVOY IN
MONTHS
A FAMINE-STRICKEN CAMP HOUSING ABOUT 500,000 DISPLACED
PEOPLE IN SUDAN HAS RECEIVED ITS FIRST CONVOY OF AID IN MONTHS.
THE UNITED NATIONS' TRUCKS ARRIVED IN ZAMZAM - which houses
masses forced to flee during Sudan's 18-month civil war - on Friday.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said food deliveries had been
held up for months by fierce fighting in the nearby Darfur city of el-
Fasher, as well as the "IMPASSABLE" ROADS BROUGHT ON BY THE
RAINY SEASON.
The war - a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid
Support Forces (RSF) - has CREATED THE WORLD'S LARGEST
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, FORCING 10 MILLION PEOPLE FROM THEIR
HOMES AND PUSHING COMMUNITIES INTO HUNGER.
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The population of Zamzam has reportedly ballooned since April, when
the RSF began battling to take el-Fasher from the army. El-Fasher is the
only city still under military control in the western region of Darfur. In
August, an independent group of food security experts determined that
the war had pushed Zamzam into famine.
THE CONDITIONS FOR CLASSIFYING AN AREA TO BE IN FAMINE ARE
THAT AT LEAST 20% OF HOUSEHOLDS MUST BE FACING AN EXTREME
LACK OF FOOD, WITH 30% OF CHILDREN ACUTELY MALNOURISHED AND
TWO PEOPLE OUT OF EVERY 10,000 DYING DAILY FROM STARVATION
OR FROM MALNUTRITION AND DISEASE.
The food convoy to Zamzam is part of a major surge in the WFP's efforts
to reach those in the "most needy and isolated conflict areas", the
organisation said. THREE CONVOYS IN TOTAL WITH MORE THAN 700
TRUCKS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED WITH ENOUGH TO FEED 1.5 MILLION
PEOPLE FOR OVER A MONTH, THE STATEMENT SAID.
Some of them food aid is also heading to South Kordofan state.
"These trucks carry more than just food; they carry a lifeline for people
caught in the crossfire of conflict and hunger. "We need guaranteed safe
passage for our trucks and sustained international support to reach every
family at risk," Laurent Bukera, the WFP's regional director for eastern
Africa, said. The warring sides have both been accused of blocking and
looting aid, but both deny the allegations.
The convoy that arrived in Zamzam camp on Friday had left Adré on the
border with Chad on 9 November - a key route for bringing aid into
Darfur. This corridor had been closed by an order from the armycontrolled
government in February and re-opened for three months in
August.
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MAJORITY OF SOUTH SUDANESE WILL BE
FOOD INSECURE NEXT YEAR: UN
Juba: ALMOST 60 PERCENT OF SOUTH SUDAN’S POPULATION WILL BE
ACUTELY FOOD INSECURE NEXT YEAR, WITH MORE THAN TWO MILLION
CHILDREN AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION, DATA FROM A UNITED NATIONS-
BACKED REVIEW WARNED ON MONDAY.
THE WORLD’S YOUNGEST COUNTRY IS AMONG THE GLOBE’S POOREST
AND IS GRAPPLING WITH ITS WORST FLOODING IN DECADES AS WELL
AS A MASSIVE INFLUX OF REFUGEES FLEEING THE WAR IN SUDAN TO
THE NORTH. THE LATEST INTEGRATED FOOD SECURITY PHASE
CLASSIFICATION (IPC) REVIEW ESTIMATED THAT 57 PERCENT OF THE
POPULATION WOULD BE SUFFERING FROM ACUTE FOOD INSECURITY
FROM APRIL.
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The United Nations defines acute food insecurity as when a “person’s
inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in
immediate danger.” Almost 7.7 MILLION PEOPLE WILL BE CLASSED AS
ACUTELY FOOD INSECURE, according to the IPC, an increase from 7.1
million people the previous lean season. “YEAR AFTER YEAR WE SEE
HUNGER REACHING SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS WE’VE SEEN IN
SOUTH SUDAN,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty of the UN’s World Food
Programme (WFP) in South Sudan.
“When we look at the areas with the highest levels of food insecurity, it’s
clear that A COCKTAIL OF DESPAIR — CONFLICT AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS
— ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS,” she said. MORE THAN 85 PERCENT OF
RETURNEES FLEEING THE WAR IN SUDAN WILL BE ACUTELY FOOD
INSECURE FROM THE NEXT LEAN SEASON IN APRIL.
The data also found that 2.1 MILLION CHILDREN ARE AT RISK OF
MALNUTRITION, COMPOUNDED BY A LACK OF SAFE DRINKING WATER
AND SANITATION.
“Malnutrition is the end result of a series of crises,” said Hamida Lasseko,
UNICEF’s representative in South Sudan, adding the agency was “deeply
concerned” that the numbers would increase if aid was not stepped up.
In October, the World Bank warned WIDESPREAD FLOODING WAS
“WORSENING AN ALREADY CRITICAL HUMANITARIAN SITUATION.”
The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, said earlier this month that 1.4
million people had been impacted by the flooding, which had displaced
almost 380,000. Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, THE
WORLD’S YOUNGEST NATION HAS REMAINED PLAGUED BY CHRONIC
INSTABILITY, VIOLENCE AND ECONOMIC STAGNATION AS WELL AS
CLIMATE DISASTERS SUCH AS DROUGHT AND FLOODS.
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SUDAN FLOODS AFFECT 1.4 MILLION, DISPLACE 379,000: UN
Nairobi: DEVASTATING FLOODING IN SOUTH SUDAN IS AFFECTING
AROUND 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE, WITH MORE THAN 379,000 DISPLACED,
according to a United Nations update that warned about an upsurge in
malaria.
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Aid agencies have said that the world’s youngest country, highly
vulnerable to climate change, IS IN THE GRIP OF ITS WORST FLOODING
IN DECADES, mainly in the north. The United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said about 1.4 million
people were affected by floods in 43 counties and the disputed Abyei
region, which is claimed by both South Sudan and Sudan.
“Over 379,000 individuals are displaced in 22 counties and Abyei,” it
added in a statement issued late on Friday.
A SURGE IN MALARIA HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SEVERAL STATES, IT SAID,
“OVERWHELMING THE HEALTH SYSTEM AND EXACERBATING THE
SITUATION AND IMPACT IN FLOOD-HIT AREAS.” Since gaining
independence from Sudan in 2011, the world’s youngest nation has
remained PLAGUED BY CHRONIC INSTABILITY, VIOLENCE AND
ECONOMIC STAGNATION AS WELL AS CLIMATE DISASTERS SUCH AS
DROUGHT AND FLOODS.
The World Bank said last month that THE LATEST FLOODS WERE
“WORSENING AN ALREADY CRITICAL HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
MARKED BY SEVERE FOOD INSECURITY, ECONOMIC DECLINE,
CONTINUED CONFLICT, DISEASE OUTBREAKS, AND THE REPERCUSSIONS
OF THE SUDAN CONFLICT,” WHICH HAS SEEN SEVERAL HUNDRED
THOUSAND PEOPLE POUR INTO SOUTH SUDAN.
MORE THAN SEVEN MILLION PEOPLE ARE FOOD INSECURE IN SOUTH
SUDAN and 1.65 million children are malnourished, according to the UN’s
World Food Programme.
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UN SENDS EMERGENCY FOOD AID FOR ONE MILLION
LEBANESE
Displaced families receive water and food after fleeing the overnight
Israeli strikes, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli
forces, in southern Beirut, in Lebanon September 28, 2024. (Reuters)
ROME: The World Food Programme on Sunday said it had launched AN
EMERGENCY OPERATION TO PROVIDE MEALS FOR ONE MILLION
PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE ESCALATING CONFLICT IN LEBANON. “A
further acceleration of the conflict this weekend underscored the need
for an immediate humanitarian response,” the Rome-based agency said
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in a statement, announcing that it was DISTRIBUTING READY-TO-EAT
FOOD RATIONS, BREAD, HOT MEALS AND FOOD PARCELS TO SHELTERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
Israel on Sunday said that it was carrying out new air strikes on dozens of
Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, two days after killing the Iran-backed
group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in bombing raids outside Beirut. His
killing marked a sharp escalation in nearly a year of tit-for-tat crossborder
fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the latter’s Palestinian ally
Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The bombing in Lebanon is “compounding the fragility of a population
burdened by accumulated crises,” the WFP said. “In just a few days, WFP
ASSISTANCE HAS REACHED THOUSANDS OF NEWLY DISPLACED
PEOPLE,” the program’s country director for Lebanon, Matthew
Hollingworth, said in the statement.
“AS THE CRISIS DEEPENS, WE ARE PREPARING TO ASSIST UP TO ONE
MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH A MIX OF CASH AND FOOD SUPPORT,” he
added, calling on the international community to mobilize $105 million
to fund the operation through to the end of the year. “Lebanon is at a
breaking point and cannot endure another war,” said WFP regional
director Corinne Fleischer.
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GAZA MOTHER STRUGGLING TO FEED CHILDREN SAYS ONLY
DEATH CAN END THEIR SUFFERING
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY EXPERTS SAID THERE IS A ‘STRONG
LIKELIHOOD’ THAT FAMINE IS IMMINENT IN PARTS OF NORTHERN
GAZA. (Reuters)
GAZA: Itimad Al-Qanou, a Palestinian mother struggling to feed her
seven children, feels abandoned by everyone. She sometimes feels that
death is the best way to end her family’s suffering after a year of war that
has turned Gaza into a bombed-out wasteland gripped by hunger.
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“Let them drop a nuclear bomb and end it. We don’t want this life we’re
living; we are dying slowly. Have mercy on us. Look at these children,”
said the mother of three boys and four girls aged between eight and 18.
Children in their town of Deir Al-Balah crowd at a charity site with empty
pots, desperate for nourishment. Aid workers distribute lentil soup from
a pot. But it is never enough to stave off hunger and ease widespread
panic.
Qanou says her family faces the Israeli airstrikes that have killed tens of
thousands of people and flattened much of Gaza on the one side, and
hunger on the other. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid were allowed
through the Erez crossing into northern Gaza on Monday.
The US will decide this week on whether Israel has made progress toward
improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and how Washington will
respond. Global food security experts said there is a “strong likelihood”
that famine is imminent in parts of northern Gaza as Israel pursues a
military offensive against Hamas militants there.
In response to the famine warning, the head of the UN Palestinian relief
agency UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, accused Israel of using hunger as a
weapon. Aside from the hunger, Gazans say they have no place to go that
is safe after repeated evacuations left them living in tent encampments
until they need to move again to escape more strikes.
Some say their plight is even worse than the 1948 “Nakba” or
“Catastrophe” when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were
dispossessed of their homes. With the war in Gaza now in its 14th month,
Israel is focusing its operations in the north and centre in what it says is
a campaign to stop Hamas militants waging attacks and to prevent them
from regrouping.
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SAUDI AID CONTINUES TO REACH THOUSANDS
IN GAZA, LEBANON
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief is continuing to provide essential food
baskets to families in northern Gaza, the Saudi Press Agency reported on
Saturday.
THE RELIEF EFFORT IS BEING CONDUCTED IN COOPERATION WITH THE
SAUDI CENTER FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE AS PART OF A CAMPAIGN
INITIATED UNDER THE DIRECTIVES OF THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP.
The humanitarian situation in northern Gaza remains dire, exacerbated
by ongoing hostilities and border closures. Saudi aid is crucial to
supporting families as they confront daily hardships and critical
shortages.
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Meanwhile, the 21st aid plane sent from Riyadh to Lebanon arrived at
Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday, carrying food,
shelter and medical supplies. The aid, handled by KSrelief, will be used to
assist the growing number of people displaced by Israeli airstrikes. The
UAE, Turkiye, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Canada, Romania and France are also
sending aid to Lebanon.
Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has implemented more than 3,100
projects worth more than $7.1 billion in 104 countries, in cooperation
with local, regional and international partners.
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SAUDI ARABIA CONTINUES RELIEF OPERATIONS IN LEBANON
Saudi Arabia, through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief
Center, sent its 19th relief plane to Lebanon carrying humanitarian
supplies. (SPA)
RIYADH: SAUDI ARABIA, THROUGH THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN
AID AND RELIEF CENTER (KSRELIEF), SENT ITS 19TH RELIEF PLANE TO
LEBANON CARRYING HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES SUCH AS FOOD,
SHELTER AND MEDICAL AID. This news comes as the 20th relief plane
took off from King Khalid International Airport on Thursday to deliver
additional supplies for the Lebanese people. The continuing relief
mission aims to alleviate the suffering of those affected in Lebanon and
is part of the Kingdom’s support across various humanitarian and relief
sectors.
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MILLIONS OF NIGERIANS GO HUNGRY AS
FLOODS COMPOUND HARDSHIP
Workers prepare food to be distributed to people displaced by the floods
at Gubio IDP camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
GUBIO: UNRELENTING PRICE RISES AND A BRUTAL INSURGENCY HAD
ALREADY MADE IT HARD FOR NIGERIANS IN NORTHEASTERN BORNO
STATE TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. WHEN A DAM COLLAPSED IN
SEPTEMBER, FLOODING THE STATE CAPITAL AND SURROUNDING
FARMLAND, MANY PEOPLE RAN OUT OF OPTIONS.
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NOW THEY QUEUE FOR HANDOUTS IN CAMPS FOR THOSE DISPLACED
by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When
those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed
or raped by local bandits. “I can’t even cry anymore. I’m too tired,” said
Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri,
REARING ANIMALS FOR THE TWO ANNUAL MUSLIM HOLY DAYS, after
years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno.
TORRENTIAL RAINS AND FLOODS IN 29 OF NIGERIA’S 36 STATES THIS
YEAR HAVE DESTROYED MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION HECTARES OF
CROPLAND, AFFECTING MORE THAN NINE MILLION PEOPLE,
ACCORDING TO THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS.
Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria’s poorly maintained or nonexistent
infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening
Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy.
THE COST OF STAPLES LIKE RICE AND BEANS HAS DOUBLED, TRIPLED OR
EVEN QUADRUPLED IN A YEAR, DEPENDING ON LOCATION — AN
UNMANAGEABLE SHOCK FOR MILLIONS OF POOR FAMILIES. Mass
kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers
and pastoralists in the central belt, TRADITIONALLY THE NATION’S
BREAD BASKET, HAVE ALSO DISRUPTED AGRICULTURE AND SQUEEZED
FOOD SUPPLIES.
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’HUNGRIEST OF THE HUNGRY’
ROUGHLY 40 PERCENT OF NIGERIA’S MORE THAN 200 MILLION PEOPLE
LIVE BELOW THE INTERNATIONAL POVERTY LINE OF $2.15 PER PERSON
PER DAY, the World Bank estimates. ALREADY, 25 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE
IN ACUTE FOOD AND NUTRITION INSECURITY — putting their lives or
livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the
government and UN agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33
million by next June-August.
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“The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what WE ARE SEEING IS
A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS,” Said Trust Mlambo, head of
program for the northeast at the World Food Programme, in an interview
with Reuters in Maiduguri. With international donors focused on
emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not
enough funding to fully meet Nigeria’s growing need for food aid.
“WE ARE REALLY PRIORITISING THE HUNGRIEST OF THE HUNGRY,” he
said. In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept.
9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local
residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE RESULTING FLOOD,
according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of
offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state
government did not respond to requests for comment. Zainab Abubakar,
a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her
husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at
midnight by water rushing into her bedroom.
They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried
everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering
at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket.
“There is no alternative,” she said.
In Banki, on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon about 133 km (83 miles)
southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan LOST CROPS OF MAIZE, PEPPER
AND THEN OKRA IN REPEATED FLOODING OF HER SUBSISTENCE FARM
THIS YEAR, LEAVING HER WITH NOTHING TO EAT OR SELL.
“I beg the neighbors or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for
my children, for us to survive,” said Hassan, who has eight children. “The
situation has turned me into a beggar.”
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FAMINE LOOMING IN MYANMAR’S RAKHINE STATE: UN
UNITED NATIONS: Myanmar’s conflict-torn Rakhine state is HEADING
TOWARD FAMINE, the United Nations warned on Thursday, as THE
COUNTRY’S CIVIL WAR SQUEEZES COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION. “Rakhine’s ECONOMY HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING,” a
new report from the UN Development Programme said, PROJECTING
“FAMINE CONDITIONS BY MID-2025” IF CURRENT LEVELS OF FOOD
INSECURITY ARE LEFT UNADDRESSED.
SOME TWO MILLION PEOPLE ARE AT RISK OF STARVATION, it said. Amid
the fighting roiling the country, INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TRADE
ROUTES LEADING INTO THE ALREADY IMPOVERISHED STATE HAVE BEEN
CLOSED, LEAVING THE ENTRANCE OF AID AND GOODS SEVERELY
RESTRICTED. In addition to intense fighting, people in Rakhine are facing
“absence of incomes, hyperinflation (and) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED
DOMESTIC FOOD PRODUCTION,” the UNDP report warned.
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Clashes have rocked western Rakhine since the Arakan Army (AA)
attacked security forces in November 2023, ending a ceasefire that had
largely held since the junta’s 2021 coup. WITH THE FARMING ECONOMY
IN CRISIS, THE UNDP PREDICTED LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION WOULD
ONLY COVER 20 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S NEEDS BY MARCH OR APRIL.
INTERNAL RICE PRODUCTION IS “PLUMMETING,” IT SAID, DUE TO “A
LACK OF SEEDS, FERTILIZERS (AND) SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.”
Some 97,000 tons of rice are set to be cultivated in Rakhine this year,
compared to 282,000 tons last year, according to the UNDP. A “steep rise”
in internally displaced people, meanwhile, means MANY FIELDS ARE
UNABLE TO BE WORKED.
According to UN figures, Rakhine state recorded MORE THAN 500,000
DISPLACED PEOPLE IN AUGUST, compared to just under 200,000 in
October 2023. Facing particular risk are populations including members
of the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority and displaced people.
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WORLD MUST BE PREPARED FOR MYANMAR’S
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
The dire situation in Myanmar has taken a turn that could lead to a
humanitarian catastrophe across Southeast Asia. According to a UN
report published last week, Myanmar faces a stark economic collapse,
with conditions especially severe in Rakhine State, where the Rohingya
population has already been subject to years of discrimination,
displacement and neglect. The international community, particularly
Myanmar’s neighbors, must prepare to address the impending collapse
of Myanmar’s economy — a collapse that will have far-reaching effects
on REGIONAL STABILITY AND SECURITY.
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Myanmar’s economy, crippled by years of military dictatorship,
mismanagement and international sanctions, now teeters on the edge of
complete collapse. With inflation soaring, critical shortages of essential
goods and a currency in freefall, millions of people are falling into poverty
and basic subsistence is increasingly out of reach for Myanmar’s most
vulnerable populations.
This crisis is especially severe in areas like Rakhine State, home to a
significant Rohingya population and other minorities who face barriers to
accessing food, medicine and basic services. These conditions may soon
lead to widespread famine and disease outbreaks, further straining the
limited resources available.
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Rakhine State is ground zero for what could become one of the worst
humanitarian crises of our time. The Rohingya, already living under
precarious conditions, face an even graver reality. Years of discriminatory
policies, including restricted access to markets and governmentcontrolled
distribution systems, have left the Rohingya severely
marginalized. As Myanmar’s economy plummets, food prices are
skyrocketing and local production is increasingly disrupted by armed
conflict and the military’s brutal crackdowns.
For the Rohingya, who are largely dependent on outside aid and have
limited mobility to seek work or supplies, this means impending
starvation. Even as humanitarian organizations attempt to provide relief,
access to these vulnerable populations remains tightly controlled by
Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw. The international community must
be cognizant that, without intervention, Rakhine could see starvation
levels not witnessed in the region for generations.
Rakhine State is ground zero for what could become one of the worst
humanitarian crises of our time
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim
Regional powers — especially India, Thailand, Bangladesh and China —
must recognize that Myanmar’s economic and humanitarian crisis will
not be contained within its borders. Mass migration, infectious diseases
and increased demand for resources could exacerbate tensions in
countries already grappling with their own challenges.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as a regional bloc, must take
the lead in convening an emergency task force to manage Myanmar’s
crisis. ASEAN’s long-standing policy of noninterference is
counterproductive in the face of such a humanitarian disaster. Instead, a
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regional response plan that involves food distribution, humanitarian
corridors and diplomatic efforts to engage Myanmar’s military is critical.
Countries like Thailand and Malaysia, which have hosted large numbers
of displaced people from Myanmar, should be instrumental in
establishing temporary safe havens, while also pressuring the Tatmadaw
to allow access to aid.
China, a powerful neighbor with economic interests in Myanmar, also has
a role to play. While Beijing has historically supported Myanmar’s military
leadership, the extent of the economic collapse and its consequences
may compel China to reevaluate its position. It has the leverage to
pressure the Tatmadaw to open channels for humanitarian aid and it
should prioritize stabilization over immediate profit. If the crisis escalates
into a mass famine, China’s role as a stabilizing force in the region could
be jeopardized. In addition, any significant displacement crisis along
Myanmar’s borders will ultimately impact China’s domestic stability and
interests.
India, too, must act as a responsible regional power. With its own eastern
regions susceptible to influxes of refugees, India’s best move would be to
support Bangladesh and Thailand in establishing temporary aid stations
along the Myanmar border and to use diplomatic channels to urge
Myanmar to accept international aid.
The international community has a moral imperative to step up its
involvement in Myanmar’s crisis. Unfortunately, the current sanctions
regime, while aimed at penalizing the Tatmadaw, has compounded the
suffering of ordinary people. A new approach is necessary, one that
includes targeted relief measures designed to bypass military control and
reach those who need it most. The current sanctions regime, while aimed
at penalizing the Tatmadaw, has compounded the suffering of ordinary
people
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Dr. Azeem Ibrahim
The UN, working with ASEAN and other international organizations,
should establish a coordinated aid program that prioritizes food and
medicine distribution in Rakhine and other vulnerable areas.
Additionally, there must be a strong diplomatic push to create a
humanitarian corridor into Myanmar. A mix of incentives and sanctions
could be offered to encourage Myanmar’s military leadership to permit
this access. The program should emphasize accountability and
transparency to ensure that resources are not co-opted by the Tatmadaw
but go directly to at-risk populations.
International donors and development banks must also consider offering
support to Myanmar’s regional neighbors to ease the strain caused by
any resulting displacement and increased food and resource demands.
By supporting these countries economically, the global community can
help stabilize the entire region, creating a buffer against Myanmar’s
spillover effects.
Beyond immediate relief, the international community must recognize
that Myanmar’s crisis will require a long-term strategy. Even if the current
economic collapse can be mitigated, rebuilding Myanmar’s economy and
stabilizing its political landscape will take years. Sustainable solutions will
require a concerted effort to address the root causes of Myanmar’s
instability, including the military’s unyielding control over the state.
Myanmar’s regional neighbors and the wider international community
must be prepared for the possibility that Myanmar could become a failed
state if current trends continue. Establishing mechanisms for continuous
aid, development assistance and support for democratic institutions in
Myanmar will be crucial. Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special
initiatives at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington,
DC.
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AMID WAR AND DEEP HUNGER, GAZA
FISHERMAN STRUGGLE TO FEED FAMILIES
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: After over a year of war in Gaza, Palestinian
FISHERMEN GATHER ALONG THE COASTLINE, DESPERATELY CASTING
THEIR NETS IN HOPES OF CATCHING ENOUGH FOR THEIR FAMILIES
AMID WIDESPREAD HUNGER.
Since Israel began a military onslaught in Gaza after Hamas’ October 2023
attack, Israeli restrictions in the waters off the enclave have made life
almost impossible for fishermen, who no longer sail out to sea and
instead must stay by the shore. In Khan Younis, Ibrahim Ghurab, 71, and
Waseem Al Masry, 24, fish for sardines from the shoreline in front of an
encampment of tents and makeshift shelters for those displaced by the
war.
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“Life is difficult,” Ghurab said. “ONE TRIES TO SECURE FOOD. THERE IS
NO AID, WE DON’T RECEIVE ANYTHING ANYMORE. IN THE BEGINNING
THERE WAS SOME (HUMANITARIAN) AID, VERY LITTLE, BUT NOW
THERE IS NO MORE.”
Fishermen like Ghurab and Al Masry struggle daily to bring in even a
modest catch to feed their families. There is rarely any fish left over from
a daily haul to be sold to others.
Fishing was an important part of daily life in Gaza before the war, helping
people eke out a living by selling their daily hauls in the market and feed
the population. But scant aid is reaching Gaza amid Israeli restrictions
and frequent fighting, and many people have no income. THE PRICE OF
SIMPLE GOODS ARE LARGELY OUT OF REACH FOR MOST.
“We have to come here and risk our lives,” Al Masry said, describing
shootings by the Israeli military from the sea that he accused of targeting
fisherman on the beach in Khan Younis.
Ghurab similarly said that Israeli military boats had fired upon fisherman
at Khan Younis. The Israeli military did not respond to Reuters requests
for comment on the claims the military had shot at fishermen.
Israel’s retaliatory war against Hamas for the Islamist militant group’s
deadly, cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has devastated densely
populated Gaza and displaced most of the 2.3 million population.
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KSRELIEF CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN OUTREACH IN
JORDAN, AFGHANISTAN AND LEBANON
RIYADH: THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER
(KSRELIEF) CONTINUES ITS HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES IN JORDAN,
AFGHANISTAN AND LEBANON WITH THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL
SERVICES AND DISTRIBUTION OF BASIC NEEDS TO INDIVIDUALS.
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At Jordan’s Zaatri Camp, the Saudi aid agency provided medical services
to 2,738 patients during the second week of November. General
practitioners treated 657 patients, internists saw 125 patients dealing
with diabetes, hypertension and asthma. The pediatric clinic examined
270 children, while the emergency department attended to 297 patients.
Meanwhile, dentists attended to 183 patients
The gynecology clinic served 182 women while ear, nose, and throat
doctors clinic treated 57 patients for conditions such as sinusitis,
pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and otitis media. The ophthalmology clinic
assisted 51 patients and provided them with medications. The cardiology
clinic received 27 patients, and the diagnostic radiology clinic conducted
examinations for 25 patients.
Other medical services provided also included laboratory tests, x-rays
and vaccinations. In Afghanistan, 200 shelter kits and 200 tents have
been handed out for the benefit of 1,200 individuals as part of a project
for returnees from Pakistan to Afghanistan and those affected by
flooding.
In Lebanon, KSrelief distributed 530 purchase coupons to orphans and
people with disabilities in Akkar region, Beirut, central and western
Bekaa and Armoun. The coupons allow recipients to buy winter clothing
of their choice from approved stores.
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KSRELIEF DISTRIBUTES AID TO MOST NEEDY IN
LEBANON, CHAD AND SYRIA
RIYADH: SAUDI AID AGENCY KSRELIEF HAS DELIVERED MORE AID TO
THOSE MOST IN NEED IN LEBANON, CHAD AND SYRIA, REPORTED THE
SAUDI PRESS AGENCY. In Chari-Baguirmi, Chad, the agency delivered
1,600 food parcels that benefitted 9,600 people. A further 333 food aid
parcels and 333 hygiene kits were distributed in the Idlib region of Syria
to help 1,998 individuals from 333 families who were affected by last
year’s devastating earthquake. And in Lebanon, winter clothing vouchers
were given to 300 orphans and people with special needs in Akkar
governorate. These will help them buy clothing for the forthcoming
winter
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KSRELIEF CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN WORK
IN GAZA, JORDAN AND YEMEN
RIYADH: THE KING SALMAN HUMANITARIAN AID AND RELIEF CENTER’S
(KSRELIEF) HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES CONTINUE WITH THE DELIVERY
OF FOOD AND MEDICAL SERVICES IN GAZA, JORDAN AND YEMEN.
At the Gaza Strip, the Saudi aid agency deployed a convoy of 30 trucks
loaded with 10,560 shelter bags filled with essential supplies allocated
for the Palestinian people, and to be distributed through the Jordanian
Hashemite Charity Organization. In Jordan’s Zaatari Camp, KSrelief clinics
provided medical services to 2,483 refugee patients. The internal
medicine specialists treated 122 patients suffering from diabetes, high
blood pressure and asthma; pediatricians received 285 children, while
the emergency medical doctors treated 253 patients, among others. In
Hadhramaut governorate of Yemen, KSrelief delivered a new batch of
hemodialysis solutions and supplies to the Fatima Babtain Center for
kidney failure patients in Sayoun.
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KSRELIEF CONTINUES INTERNATIONAL RELIEF
EFFORTS IN CHAD, PAKISTAN
RIYADH: SAUDI AID AGENCY KSRELIEF HAS DELIVERED AID TO PEOPLE
MOST IN NEED IN CHAD AND PAKISTAN, REPORTED THE SAUDI PRESS
AGENCY.
Some 201 food parcels, benefiting 1,206 people, were distributed in the
village of Sharkaya, in Hajar Lamis province, as part of the 2024 Food
Security Support Project in the Republic of Chad. Aid has also been given
to 10,500 vulnerable people in flood-affected areas of Pakistan as part of
the fourth phase of KSrelief’s initiative to provide shelter materials and
winter bags to the country.
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FOOD SECURITY REPORT 2025: GLOBAL SHOCKS DRIVE FOOD
INSECURITY & PRICE INFLATION | UNITED NATIONS
https://youtu.be/syO6OGKg27I
https://youtu.be/GSqSeTMCFBU
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NIGERIA FACES HUNGER CRISIS AS FOOD NEEDS RISE ACROSS
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA, UN SAYS
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nigeria is facing “an unprecedented hunger
crisis,” and the need for food is rising across west and central Africa
while funds are shrinking, the U.N. food agency’s regional head said.
Margot van der Velden said nearly 31 million people in Nigeria are facing
acute food insecurity and need life-saving food — a number “equivalent
to the entire population of Texas going hungry.” But the regional director
of the World Food Program said that due to severe funding cuts starting
in August, “we will face the heartbreaking reality of having to suspend
humanitarian aid for the populations in areas devastated by conflict.”
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That means over 1.3 million people in Nigeria will lose access to food and
nutritional support, 150 nutrition clinics in Borno state in the northeast
where Islamic militants are active may close and 300,000 children will be
at risk of severe malnutrition, and 700,000 displaced people “will be left
with no means of survival,” she said.
For years, the U.S. Agency for International Development had been the
backbone of the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, helping
non-governmental organizations provide food, shelter and health care to
millions of people. The Trump administration has slashed foreign
assistance and dismantled USAID, accusing the agency of waste and
fraud and supporting a liberal agenda. Other Western donors also have
slashed international aid spending.
Van der Velden said WFP urgently needs $130 million to sustain its
operations in Nigeria. But she stressed that the crisis is not just in Nigeria
but across west and central Africa, where WFP also is facing critical
funding shortfalls that are forcing the Rome-based agency to reduce or
suspend operations in some of Africa’s “most fragile” countries.
“WFP’s aid has dropped by 60%, now reaching only 5 million people, with
Mali and Niger suffering cuts of over 80% in emergency support,” van der
Velden said. “In countries such as Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Cameroon and
the Central African Republic, we are seeing the same pattern: rising
needs, shrinking resources and growing risks.”
She spoke by video from Niger at a U.N. press conference Wednesday
and provided additional financial information Thursday. According to
WFP’s latest data, Nigeria’s appeal for over $130 million for this year is
only 21% funded. The agency said the crisis in Africa’s most populous
country is driven by families’ depleted food stocks, soaring food prices,
inflation, currency depreciation and conflict — combined with
“unprecedented funding cuts.”
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WFP also cited funding crises in other countries in the region — its appeal
for $65.1 million for Cameroon is just 19% funded; the $35.8 million
appeal for Mauritania is 39% funded; the $29.7 million appeal for Central
African Republic is 49% funded; the $33.2 million appeal for Mali is 57%
funded and the $21.4 million appeal for Niger is 74% funded.
Van der Velden warned that when there is no food aid hunger deepens
and tensions rise. “Communities fracture and the risk of instability
increases, making it more difficult to maintain peace and resilience in the
region,” she said.
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RESEARCHERS RAISE CONCERNS AS DECLINING FOOD
PRODUCTION BRINGS PRICE INCREASES: 'DISRUPTS
AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS'
What's happening?
According to Cape Town ETC, reduced rainfall caused by higher
temperatures will impact the country's agricultural industry, reducing
production 50% by 2050. This will expand food insecurity across the
country, an issue already affecting 1 in 5.
By 2050, the changing climate will increase maize, or corn, yield
variability by 25%, further raising prices and imperiling livelihoods. Cape
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Town ETC noted that maize is a staple crop for poor households, and its
cost is now jumping by 30% each year because of climate impacts.
"Ensuring that more people have access to adequate, affordable and
nutritious food calls for a new approach to supporting the agricultural
sector that integrates enterprise development and climate adaptation
strategies," said Stellenbosch Business School research fellow Roscoe van
Wyk, per Cape Town ETC.
South Africa has a goal of creating 1 million new agricultural jobs and
fostering an "integrated and inclusive rural economy" by 2030, but it will
require improving productivity.
Why is this important?
Cape Town ETC said productivity growth is "two to three times more
effective at reducing poverty than equivalent growth in other sectors
such as mining or manufacturing," since agriculture boosts the food
supply in addition to jobs and incomes.
High food prices disproportionately affect low-income individuals, who
have to spend a large portion of their money on food. Van Wyk told the
outlet that his research shows if food prices rise 1%, household welfare
falls by 20%. This means people are unable to afford healthcare,
education, safety, and other basic human rights.
Poverty is also worse in rural areas, which are dependent on small,
subsistence farms as well as the agricultural value chain, which includes
jobs and farmers' markets. Growing populations are an issue, too, as food
supplies aren't enough to feed the people who are already here.
"The impact of climate change is experienced not only in decreasing
rainfall and higher temperatures which reduce crop yields," Van
Wyk told Cape Town ETC.
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"But also in the rising incidence of extreme weather events such as less
frequent but heavier rainfall leading to floods, interspersed with longer,
harsher periods of drought. These impact substantially on livestock and
crop health and production, while damage to infrastructure from
extreme weather events disrupts agricultural and food supply chains."
What's being done about lower crop yields and food insecurity?
Improving yields as the climate continues to make farming more difficult
will require more support from governments and companies.
Researchers are working to develop heat- and drought-resistant produce
as one way to move toward a sustainable future.
Individuals can also help by shopping locally and supporting small farms,
which reduces the need for mass-produced food that must be
transported great distances and stored for long periods of time.
Stretch your budget by shopping smarter at the grocery store and
using leftovers in creative ways. Eating a plant-based diet can be
beneficial as well, as meat products are more expensive and contribute
significantly to the climate crisis that is causing this dilemma.
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FARMERS DEVASTATED AS UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS WIPES
OUT KEY CROP: 'THERE'S NOTHING HERE'
Fruit farmers in British Columbia, Canada have been experiencing
unproductive growing seasons due to changing weather patterns, leaving
their fruit trees barren, BC Business reported.
With significantly less harvest to work with, these farmers are
accumulating financial losses in the seven-figure territory.
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What's happening?
Sukhdeep Brar, an orchardist from the Summerland area in British
Columbia, shared that last year in March, two months following a deep
freeze, he walked through his family's orchard expecting to find tiny buds
to kick off the growing season. Instead, he was greeted with barren peach
trees.
"There's nothing here," Brar said, per BC Business.
He did not see a single peach the entire growing season.
Their cherry trees did bloom, but many of the blossoms were dead or
contained no fruit.
Despite losing his crops, Brar still had to finance the farm's growing
operations, driving him into debt over seven figures.
Over the past few years, fruit farmers like Brar have faced challenge after
challenge in maintaining their livelihoods, trying to weather heavy
rains, severe frost, drought conditions, extreme heat and wildfires.
"Many growers have exited the industry, [Brar] says, and more are
thinking of following suit. Others are still going but wondering why
they're doing it," reads BC Business's report.
Why is crop failure concerning?
Farmers endure a lot of mental stress that many consumers do not see
behind the scenes. With the unusual weather patterns we've been having
in recent years, farmers have to do their best to adapt to stay profitable.
Fruit farmers, however, cannot participate in crop rotation to improve
their harvest yields. These farmers have dedicated fruit trees that must
produce fruit, or else they risk significant financial loss.
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Crop failure is becoming more common for many farmers as warmer
weather and extreme weather events threaten optimal growing
conditions. As the cost of production rises, average consumers will see
inflated grocery prices, making food and daily living more
expensive. Failed crops also waste energy, water and fertilizer for little to
no return.
What's being done about crop failure?
Since 2020, the British Columbia government has dedicated more than
$225 million to support fruit farmers, per BC Business. $100 million of
that budget was used to replace damaged fruit trees, as well as grape
and berry crops.
In February, the British Columbia government set aside another $10
million to support fruit tree growers, per BC Business. The government's
financial assistance throws fruit farmers a lifeline to recoup some of their
losses. However, agroecologists urge that more research must be done
to find effective agricultural solutions to adapt to changing climates.
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MILLIONS GO HUNGRY IN NIGERIA AS AID DRIES UP,
JIHADISTS SURGE
Resurgent jihadist attacks, huge cuts in foreign aid and a spiralling cost of
living: hunger is looming in northeastern Nigeria, where more than a
million people face starvation.
Before insurgency upended daily life, Damboa was a regional farming
hub. Today it stands on the frontline of survival.
Located around 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Borno state capital
Maiduguri, the town lies on the fringes of the Sambisa forest, a game
reserve turned jihadist enclave.
While Nigeria's 16-year-old insurgency has slowed since violence peaked
around 2015, attacks have picked up since the beginning of the year due
to a myriad of factors that saw jihadist groups strengthen and security
forces stretched thin.
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Almata Modu, 25, joined thousands of others fleeing the countryside into
town in May, after jihadists overran her village. Rations are already
meagre -- and set to run out as Western aid dries up.
"We are safe, but the food is not enough," Modu told AFP, wearing a
purple hijab, approaching an aid distribution centre in a police station.
Aminata Adamu, 36, agreed. She fled her home a decade ago and
receives monthly rations for four registered family members -- even
though the family has since grown to 11.
- 'Lives will be lost' -
The limited food will soon run out by the end of July as Western aid cuts
-- including President Donald Trump's dismantling of the US Agency for
International Development -- send humanitarian programmes into a
tailspin.
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"This is our last rice from USAID," said Chi Lael, Nigeria spokeswoman for
the World Food Programme, pointing at a stack of white bags at another
distribution centre in Mafa, around 150 kilometres from Damboa. There
are five million "severely hungry" people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe
states -- the three worst affected by the jihadist insurgency waged by
Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
WFP has until now only been able to feed 1.3 million who now face
starvation as food handouts run out. "There is no food left in the
warehouses," said Lael. "Lives will be lost." The timing couldn't be worse.
June to September is known as the "lean season", the time between
planting and harvest when families have little food reserves.
Normally, rural farmers would buy food -- but amid mass inflation from
an economic crisis, coupled with forced displacement, many "can't afford
much", said Diana Japaridze, of the International Committee of the Red
Cross. Flying into Damboa shows vast swathes of farmland, abandoned
because of the violence.
Concurrently, the Niger-Nigeria counter-terrorism collaboration has been
strained as the military is stretched thin by a separate banditry crisis and
an economic crunch has stiffened rural grievances that such groups feed
off, according to analysts. A farmer was killed in his field just days ago,
residents said. Meanwhile, Damboa has the highest and most severe
cases of malnutrition among children under five years in northeast
Nigeria, said Kevin Akwawa, a doctor with the International Medical
Corps.
- 150 nutrition centres shutting down -
Fanna Abdulraman, 39, mother of eight, brought her six-month-old,
severely malnourished twins to a nutrition centre. She latched them to
her breasts but, malnourished herself, she can't produce milk.
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Of the 500 nutrition centres that the WFP operates in northeast Nigeria,
150 are to be shut at the end of July due to shortage of funding. That
leaves the lives of some 300,000 children at risk, according to WFP
nutrition officer Dr John Ala.
Two imposing banners bearing the trademark blue-and-red USAID logo
still hang on the front gate, where stocks will soon run out. A sign of the
insecurity in the area, everyone entering the centre is frisked with a
handheld metal detector.
Looming food shortages threaten to make matters worse.
"When you see food insecurity, poverty, the next thing... is more
insecurity, because people will resort to very terrible coping mechanisms
to survive," Ala said. Across the country a record nearly 31 million people
face acute hunger, according to David Stevenson, WFP chief in Nigeria.
With WFP operations collapsing in northeast Nigeria, "this is no longer
just a humanitarian crisis, it's a growing threat to regional stability", said
Stevenson.
Fanna Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother of nine, was oblivious food aid
and child nutrition treatment will soon end. "I can't imagine that we will
live," she said when she found out, an eight-month-old strapped on her
back, a two-year-old shyly fidgeting next to her.
In a June-to-September outlook report, the WFP and Food and
Agriculture Organization warn "critical levels of acute food insecurity are
expected to deteriorate" as the conflict intensifies, economic hardships
persist and floods are expected. Despite the desperate need for more
food, only a few farmers dare to venture out. They tend their fields under
the protection of armed militias, stationed a few kilometres apart along
the Maiduguri-Mafa highway.
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FOOD INSECURITY NEARLY DOUBLES SINCE 2021
Food insecurity nearly doubles since 2021
Food insecurity has seen a dramatic rise, nearly doubling since 2021, as
highlighted by recent studies and surveys. This alarming trend poses
significant challenges to individuals and communities, necessitating
urgent attention from policymakers and stakeholders. Causes, impacts,
and potential solutions to the growing crisis of food insecurity need to be
thoroughly examined to address this pressing issue.
Rising Statistics and Trends
In a recent analysis of data, the USDA reported a significant increase in
food insecurity rates across the nation. The data reveals that nearly one
in six households now faces food insecurity, a stark contrast to the one in
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ten households reported in 2021. This widespread issue is not confined
to a single region but affects communities nationwide, with certain areas
experiencing more pronounced impacts.
Regional disparities and demographic groups most affected by this rise
include low-income neighborhoods, minority communities, and rural
areas. The DataHaven survey highlights how food insecurity nearly
doubled in states like Connecticut, showcasing the regional variances
that exist. Furthermore, the recent economic and social changes,
including inflation and unemployment, have exacerbated these
disparities, making food security a critical issue that needs addressing.
Causes of Increased Food Insecurity
Economic factors play a significant role in the increasing rates of food
insecurity. Inflation has led to higher prices for essential goods, making it
difficult for families to afford nutritious meals. Unemployment and wage
stagnation further compound the issue, leaving many households
without the financial means to secure adequate food. The economic
ripple effects are profound and far-reaching, affecting millions of
individuals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a pivotal role in exacerbating
existing vulnerabilities. Lockdowns and restrictions disrupted supply
chains, leading to shortages and increased costs. Agricultural issues, such
as labor shortages and climate change impacts, have further strained the
availability and affordability of food, highlighting the complex web of
factors contributing to the crisis.
Impacts on Health and Wellbeing
The consequences of food insecurity extend beyond hunger, affecting the
physical and mental health of individuals and families. Lack of access to
nutritious food can lead to chronic health conditions such as obesity,
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diabetes, and heart disease. Mental health is also impacted, with stress
and anxiety prevalent among those struggling to meet their basic needs.
Children are particularly vulnerable, with long-term effects on their
development and educational outcomes. Food insecurity can impair
cognitive development, leading to difficulties in learning and academic
performance. The strain on healthcare systems and community
resources is substantial, as more individuals seek assistance and medical
care due to the health implications of inadequate nutrition.
Case Studies and Personal Stories
Personal stories and case studies provide a human face to the statistics
of food insecurity. In urban areas, families share their struggles with
balancing limited budgets while ensuring their children have enough to
eat. In rural communities, the challenges of accessing fresh produce and
other essentials highlight the unique difficulties faced outside city
centers.
Despite these challenges, stories of resilience and community-driven
initiatives offer hope. Community gardens, food banks, and local
volunteer efforts demonstrate how individuals and groups are working
together to combat food insecurity. These initiatives not only provide
immediate relief but also empower communities to find sustainable
solutions to the food insecurity crisis.
Policy Responses and Solutions
Government programs and policies play a crucial role in addressing food
insecurity. Initiatives such as SNAP and school meal programs provide
vital support to low-income families. However, these programs require
continual evaluation and adaptation to meet the growing needs of
communities.
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Innovative approaches and community-based solutions are emerging as
effective strategies to improve food access and security. Programs that
encourage urban agriculture and food cooperatives are gaining traction,
providing communities with both food and employment opportunities.
The importance of cross-sector collaboration and policy reform cannot
be overstated, as sustainable change requires input and effort from all
sectors of society.
Future Outlook and Recommendations
Looking ahead, the future of food insecurity presents both challenges
and opportunities. As economic conditions fluctuate and environmental
issues persist, the need for robust strategies to combat food insecurity
becomes increasingly urgent. Predictions suggest that without significant
intervention, the trend may continue to worsen, affecting more
households and communities.
Recommendations for addressing food insecurity include increased
funding for food assistance programs, investment in sustainable
agriculture, and improved access to education and job training.
Policymakers, nonprofits, and the private sector must work together to
develop comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of food
insecurity. Continued research and data collection, such as the findings
in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
are essential to inform and support these efforts.
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RECORD NUMBER OF FARMS SHUT IN WAKE
OF INHERITANCE TAX RAID
A record number of farms were forced to close for good this year
after Rachel Reeves’s tax raid made the future of thousands of rural
businesses unviable.
A total of 6,365 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses have closed
over the past year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS),
the highest since quarterly data was first published in 2017.
The majority of these closures took place during the first six months of
the year after Ms Reeves, the Chancellor, announced in October that she
would cut the amount of inheritance tax relief available to family farms.
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Just 3,190 businesses in the sector have been set up over the same
period. It leaves a net loss of 3,175, indicating the number of farms is
shrinking at the fastest pace on record.
Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, said the farm
closures were a result of “Labour’s disastrous tax policies”.
She added: “The crippling NICs [National Insurance contributions]
increases, alongside the family farm and family firm taxes, are destroying
generational businesses, creating job instability and even leading to
devastating suicides.
“These statistics prove that Labour do not understand our rural
communities and our rural communities cannot afford Labour.”
Lee Anderson, a Reform UK MP, said rising taxes and red tape were
“pushing British farming to the brink”.
“No government in modern history has done more damage to rural
Britain than Labour is right now,” he said.
“Farms are closing at twice the rate new ones are opening. This is
completely unsustainable. Labour has betrayed the industry that helped
build this country.”
‘Beaten from post to pillar’
Farmers are also grappling with the soaring cost of fertiliser and a poor
harvest following the recent drought and floods last year.
James Grindal, a 55-year-old third-generation farmer in South
Leicestershire, said the poor weather and barrage of costs mean new
farmers and entrepreneurs are reluctant to set up businesses in the
industry.
He said: “Yields are quite a bit down this year, it has been so dry – we
have not had decent rain for four or five months.
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“People have been beaten from post to pillar. Whichever way you turn
you seem unwanted.
“The Government is not over-supportive of us, with inheritance tax relief
disappearing.”
Mr Grindal’s 84-year-old father still works on the farm and remains a partowner.
However, he warned that the Chancellor’s tax raid meant that
when his father dies, the family will be unable to invest in the farm as
planned.
Mr Grindal said: “He is still actively involved in the farm – he still sits on
tractors occasionally, why shouldn’t he own a bit of the land he has
worked hard to own? Out of nowhere [this tax was] dropped on us.
“When he passes away we are going to have to pay a fair bit of tax on
that. It will probably stop us from doing some of what we are doing.
“I could understand the tax if we were going to sell it. But we are not, we
are going to keep growing corn and feeding people.”
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Currently, family farms do not incur inheritance tax, receiving full relief
on the usual 40pc rate. Under the changes introduced by Ms Reeves
which take effect from April 2026, inheritance tax will be charged at a
rate of 20pc, above a threshold of £1m.
Farmers have objected that their businesses are typically cash-poor and
low-margin, meaning they will be forced to sell chunks of their land to
settle the bill.
Mr Grindal said that the tax changes meant his teenage sons would
be even more reluctant to take on the family business.
“There are not many people coming new into the industry. I’ve got two
boys, 19 and 17, and I very much doubt they will come into farming,” he
said.
“There is not a great deal of encouragement to get up at the crack of
dawn and work all day and not get much reward for it, when they see
what else they can do.”
Confidence at ‘rock-bottom’
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, said confidence
in the industry was “at rock-bottom” with farmers facing “a number of
challenges.”
The inheritance tax rise came as “another bitter blow and another
attack”, he said.
Mr Bradshaw added: “It creates this continuing sense that the industry
isn’t valued and its worth to the country isn’t being recognised.
“I can understand why the psychology is there that people will be taking
the decisions that they may be resigned to sell off, and they are no longer
able to make a living off it.”
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Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association,
said taxes and red tape were undermining farmers’ efforts to make ends
meet.
She said: “This report says what ministers won’t: rural businesses are
being pushed to the edge.
“Farmers trying to modernise or diversify are blocked at every turn – by
red tape, by National Insurance rises, by a government that talks growth
while pulling out the foundations beneath it.
“Still, the countryside carries on. New businesses are opening. People are
holding on. But grit isn’t a strategy. What’s needed now is simple:
stability, clarity, and a government willing to listen – before more farms
are lost and more families are forced out.”
Michael Oakes, who sold his dairy business last year and now runs a beef
herd in the West Midlands, said the rising demand for renewable energy
was also compounding farmers’ woes.
He added: “You’ve got some landlords taking land out of food production
to put into solar.”
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Ms Reeves’s tax change, which alongside a similar reduction in the relief
for family businesses is set to raise up to £520m per year for the
Exchequer, caused immediate political ructions with farmers driving
tractors into central London to protest outside Parliament.
MPs also heard emotional evidence from family farms about the dangers
of the tax raid.
Jonathan Charlesworth, a farmer in Yorkshire, said his father, John, took
his own life in fear of the inheritance tax raid.
Other farmers have told The Telegraph that the impending increase has
opened a “suicide window” for elderly business owners who worry they
will impose a financial burden on their children and grandchildren by
staying alive beyond April of next year.
Any hopes the plans might be softened were dashed with the publication
of the Finance Bill this week which confirmed the changes will come into
force next year.
A Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs spokesman said:
“Our commitment to farming and food security is steadfast and farming
profits in the UK increased by £1.6bn last year.
“We are slashing costs and red tape for food producers to export to the
EU, have appointed former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters to
recommend reforms to boost farmers’ profits, and we’re ensuring
farmers get a bigger share of food contracts across our schools, hospitals,
and prisons.”
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AS MORE US ADULTS GO WITHOUT ENOUGH TO EAT, IS
THERE A ‘DISCONNECT’ BETWEEN MARKET HIGHS AND
EVERYDAY HUNGER?
America is known for its economic might — yet more and more of its
citizens are struggling to afford enough food.
A new survey from Morning Consult, as reported by Axios, finds that
15.6% of U.S. adults said they sometimes or often didn’t have enough to
eat in May — nearly double the share from 2021.
At the time, expanded benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) and the enhanced Child Tax Credit helped
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improve access to food. But those supports have since rolled back — and
the situation appears to be worsening.
Morning Consult Chief Economist John Leer pointed to the growing
disparity between financial markets and real life for many Americans.
“There's such a disconnect now between record highs on Wall Street and
elevated levels of food insecurity,” Leer said in the report.
Philadelphia’s Share Food Program — a major food bank network in the
city — has seen demand for food surge by 120% over the past three
years. Program director George Matysik said the need began climbing as
soon as federal aid started to drop in 2022.
Matysik is concerned that with Congress having just passed a major cut
to SNAP, the situation could get worse. Recent research from the Urban
Institute suggests that the “big beautiful” reconciliation package would
cause 22.3 million families to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits.
How to fight rising living costs — and save on everyday essentials
It’s no secret that food prices have climbed sharply in recent years. The
food index in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has surged 26% over the
past five years — and the USDA expects food prices to rise another 2.9%
in 2025.
But groceries are just one part of the squeeze. From rent to utilities to
transportation, inflation has been steadily eroding the purchasing power
of your hard-earned dollar.
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GLOBAL DROUGHT CRISIS PUSHES TENS OF MILLIONS
TOWARDS STARVATION, WARNS UN-BACKED REPORT
A deepening global drought crisis is pushing more than 90mn people to
the brink of starvation, with mounting impacts on food, water and energy
systems, according to a report released on July 1 by the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification, the International Drought Resilience Alliance,
and the US National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), The
Guardian reports.
The study warns that climate breakdown, water mismanagement, and
rising global temperatures are driving a “slow-moving catastrophe” with
widespread economic and humanitarian consequences.
In eastern and southern Africa, record-breaking droughts have led to
crop failures, livestock deaths and mass displacement. In Somalia, a
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quarter of the population faces acute hunger, while Zimbabwe’s corn
production fell 70% in 2023, with 9,000 cattle lost.
“This is not a dry spell. This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the
worst I’ve ever seen,” Mark Svoboda, director of the NDMC and coauthor
of the report, told The Guardian. One-sixth of southern Africa’s
population was already in need of food aid as of August last year.
In Latin America, drought has drastically reduced water levels in the
Panama Canal, cutting shipping traffic by over one-third and pushing up
global trade costs. In Morocco, six consecutive years of drought led to a
57% water deficit by early 2024. In Spain, olive production fell by 50%,
doubling prices. Meanwhile in Turkey, land degradation has left 88% of
the country at risk of desertification, and aquifer depletion has triggered
the formation of sinkholes. Svoboda described the Mediterranean region
as the “canaries in the coalmine for all modern economies.”
The report also outlines how El Niño weather conditions in 2023–2024
worsened an already fragile global water system. Heatwaves and reduced
precipitation caused water shortages, crop failures and power rationing
in multiple regions. The drought has disrupted global supply chains for
key commodities such as rice, coffee and sugar. Drought in Thailand and
India, for instance, pushed sugar prices in the US up 9% in 2023–2024.
Demand for fresh water is forecast to outstrip supply by 40% by the end
of this decade, with over half the world’s food production at risk within
25 years.
Drought is now a “silent killer” according to the report. It is here, and it
is escalating.
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EXPERTS ISSUE DIRE WARNING ABOUT ONE OF WORLD'S
WORST FOOD CRISES: 'CATASTROPHIC'
The ongoing food crisis in Yemen — driven by conflict, economic shocks,
and extreme weather — has once again ranked among the worst in the
world, according to a major international report.
What's happening?
The 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, recently released by a group of
intergovernmental organizations and United Nations
agencies, identified Yemen as one of the sites of the "four most severe
nutrition crises" in 2024. The other three were Sudan, Gaza, and Mali.
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In these four places, "catastrophic hunger driven by conflict and other
factors is hitting record highs, pushing households to the edge of
starvation," wrote António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, in a
foreword.
The report's profile on Yemen also stated that nearly half (48%) of the
country's population faced acute food insecurity during a peak period
from late 2024 through early 2025. Nearly 17 million Yemenis struggled
to access sufficient food during this time.
Why is this food crisis concerning?
Multiple factors compounded hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity
in the country last year. According to the report, these included economic
circumstances that sharply raised food prices as well as continued
conflict between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized
government.
Extreme weather events, intensified by an overheating planet, also
played a role in food shortages and rising costs. Heat waves, irregular
rainfall, rapid humidity changes, and reduced soil fertility have all hurt
farming and ranching, outlet Atalayar noted in June.
The global report explained that heavy rains in March and August 2024
led to flooding that impacted hundreds of thousands of people, damaged
over 240,000 acres of crops, increased water contamination and disease,
and led to losses of livestock and livelihoods.
While the situation in Yemen has been especially harsh, it also reflects
food insecurity and crises worldwide, all too often amplified by extreme
weather.
More than 295 million people in 53 countries and territories faced acute
hunger in 2024, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization
in a summary of the global report. Acute food insecurity and child
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malnutrition have now risen for six consecutive years, and the number of
people facing catastrophic hunger is at its highest since the annual
reports began in 2016.
For Yemen, a tragic trend has continued. The Arabian Peninsula nation
has now been named a site of one of the worst food crises in each edition
of the report.
What's being done about the food crisis in Yemen?
According to this latest Global Report on Food Crises, international aid to
Yemen was limited in 2024 by "funding reductions and a deteriorating
humanitarian operating environment." Sudden suspensions of funding in
2025 have further disrupted aid operations in Yemen and other fragile
settings.
Meanwhile, the UN has reported on Yemeni initiatives to improve
agricultural resilience, ranging from improving water management to
promoting hydroponic farming.
Atalayar cited Yemeni researcher Wafaa Al-Sanidar, who called for
increasing the use of renewable energy and building reservoirs to make
the nation more resilient to the effects of a rapidly warming Earth. Others
have called for more research into drought-resistant crops.
More broadly, Secretary-General Guterres wrote that decision-makers
should take note of the recent report: "We must summon the funding,
innovations, and global solidarity to build the food-secure and climateresilient
future that every person, everywhere, needs and deserves."
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