Ahead of the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen, Caritas International, together with other international aid organisations, has warned that "urgent action" is needed in order to prevent global hunger due to climate change.
The statement "Climate Change, Food Insecurity and Hunger" is signed by Caritas, the UN's food and health agencies WFP, FAO, and the WHO, plus the International Federation of the Red Cross, Oxfam, Word Vision, and Save the Children, the agencies have announced.
The statement says climate change is undermining current efforts to end the suffering of over one billion people already affected by hunger. Not having enough to eat is already the single largest contributor to the global burden of disease, killing 3.5 million people every year, almost all of them children in poor countries.
The risk of hunger and malnutrition could increase by an unprecedented scale within the next decades. There could be declines from 40 to 90 percent of grasslands in semi-arid and arid areas. Coastal areas may become flooded or unsuitable for farming due to increased salinity from rising sea levels may make.
By 2050, hunger could increase by 10 to 20 percent and child malnutrition is anticipated to be a fifth higher compared to a no climate change scenario.
Environment ministers and officials will meet in Copenhagen from December 7 for two weeks to agree a new deal on climate change. The summit must be a start to improving food production, scaling up social protection systems, and preparing for disasters. Poor communities need support to build climate resilient lives and escape hunger.
The lack of access to food is "the single largest contributor to the global burden of disease, killing 3.5 million people every year, almost all of them children in poor countries," the statement affirms.
FULL STORY @
Climate change risks unprecedented global hunger in our lifetime (Caritas International)
Caritas calls for urgent action on climate change (ZENIT)
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Full statement @ Caritas International