Latest news with #foodInsecurity
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Recent droughts are 'slow-moving global catastrophe'
From Somalia to mainland Europe, the past two years have seen some of the most ravaging droughts in recorded history, made worse by climate change, according to a UN-backed drought as a "silent killer" which "creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion" the report said it had exacerbated issues like poverty and ecosystem report highlighted impacts in Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America and Southeast Asia, including an estimated 4.4 million people in Somalia facing crisis-level food insecurity at the beginning of this recommends governments prepare for a "new normal" with measures including stronger early warning systems. "This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I've ever seen," said co-author Dr Mark Svoboda, founding director of the US National Drought Mitigation Center."This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on."The Drought Hotspots Around the World report identifies the most severely impacted regions from 2023 to this time, the warming effects of climate change were made worse by an El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that affects global weather El Niño happens when surface waters in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually often leads to drier conditions in regions such as southern Africa, parts of south-east Asia, northern South America, and south-east from humans, for example the use of irrigation in agriculture, has also put a strain on water resources. Drought-linked hunger By January 2023, the worst drought in 70 years had hit the Horn of Africa, coming from years of failed rainy seasons in Kenya, Ethiopia, and followed the deaths of an estimated 43,000 people in Somalia in 2022 from drought-linked hunger. African wildlife was also affected, with hippos in Botswana stranded in dry riverbeds, and elephants culled in Zimbabwe and Namibia to feed hungry communities and prevent overgrazing. The report highlights how drought hits the world's most vulnerable people including women hardest, with often far-reaching impacts on child marriages more than doubled in four regions of Eastern Africa hit hardest by drought, as families scrambled to secure dowries to survive, it noted."The coping mechanisms we saw during this drought grew increasingly desperate," said lead author Paula Guastello. "Girls pulled from school and forced into marriage, hospitals going dark, and families digging holes in dry riverbeds just to find contaminated water - these are signs of severe crisis."While low- to middle-income countries bore the brunt of the devastation, none could afford to be complacent, the report says, noting how two years of drought and record heat cut Spain's olive crop in the Amazon basin, record low water levels killed fish and put endangered dolphins more at risk as well as hitting drinking water supplies for hundreds of thousands of drought even had an effect on world trade - between October 2023 and January 2024, water levels fell so much in the Panama Canal that daily ship transits dropped from 38 to 24. "Drought is not just a weather event – it can be a social, economic, and environmental emergency," said report co-author Dr Kelly Helm Smith. "The question is not whether this will happen again, but whether we will be better prepared next time." Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More than 341,000 Families Reached: ADD MILK! Campaign Celebrates a Year of Healthier Choices and Stronger Communities
All Hands on Deck for ADD MILK! Event LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dairy Council of California (DCC), in partnership with Mother's Nutritional Center (MNC) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University hosted a vibrant community event on June 28 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the ADD MILK! campaign—a groundbreaking initiative that expands access to healthier milk options for hundreds of thousands of low-income families. Held at MNC's Florence Avenue location in Los Angeles, the celebration brought together community leaders, program participants, and local families to mark National Dairy Month and the growing success of a model that makes the healthy choice the easy choice for those facing food insecurity. With well over 200 community members in attendance, the event featured milk-inspired foods, nutrition education activities, raffle excitement and guest speakers reflecting on the program's measurable impact. On behalf of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, District Director Blanca Jimenez delivered remarks recognizing the success of the ADD MILK! program and reaffirming the Congresswoman's long-standing commitment to nutrition equity. Jimenez also expressed Waters' deep admiration for the Flores family and their lasting contributions to several communities. As part of the celebration, Richard Flores, President of Mother's Nutritional Center, presented Jimenez with a commemorative community award honoring the Congresswoman's decades of service. The award featured a historic photo of Waters alongside Flores' father and other community leaders—symbolizing a shared legacy of support for neighborhood health and programs like ADD MILK! A Year of Measurable Impact Launched to encourage SNAP recipients to purchase low-fat milk options like skim and 1%, the ADD MILK! campaign has: Served 341,529 unique SNAP households Facilitated the purchase of $3.8 million in skim and 1% milk Delivered $978,000 in incentives and $543,000 in automatic discounts Achieved an 88% coupon redemption rate Supported additional SNAP purchases of nearly $436,000 in eligible items Increased low-fat milk purchases at participating stores from 12% to 16% The program operates in all 82 Mother's Nutritional Center stores across Southern California and is currently expanding to more than 1,100 retail locations nationwide by the end of 2025. 'It's incredibly rewarding to see programs in the community that support nutrition security through purchasing incentives,' said Amy DeLisio, MPH, RDN, CEO of Dairy Council of California, who attended the event and spoke to the nutritional benefits of milk. 'Milk provides 13 essential nutrients including three of the four nutrients of public health concern—calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Families are choosing healthier options like buying more milk, and that shift means a stronger foundation for lifelong wellness.' Funded through a $4 million cooperative agreement between the USDA and Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute, ADD MILK! is part of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive Projects (HFMI), authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. The program aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which show that 90% of the U.S. population does not consume enough dairy. Building Community Through Better Nutrition 'Our customers are thankful for the ADD MILK! program. It helps them stretch their SNAP benefits one milk gallon at a time, making it easier to support healthy choices for their families,' said Richard Flores. 'Moments like these—when we come together to celebrate real solutions—are meaningful. I hope we continue to create more opportunities like this that not only support health but bring our communities together.' 'During this time of chronic food insecurity, it's critical we find ways to stretch the SNAP dollar further in support of the purchase of nutrient-dense foods,' said Donald Grady, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs at IDFA. 'With one in seven Californians relying on SNAP and 90% of Americans falling short on recommended dairy intake, programs like ADD MILK! are not just effective—they're essential. This program is a powerful example of how smart policy and industry collaboration can drive better health outcomes at scale.' The event also featured firsthand testimonials from program participants who shared how the initiative positively impacted their families' food budgets and nutrition habits. Here's a taste of the fun and inspiration from the ADD MILK! celebration: For more information on the ADD MILK! program, visit Media Contact:Malynda ParsonsCommunications Program ManagerDairy Council of Californiamparsons@ 633-9333 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
19-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘We're going to make it work': Moncton soup kitchens prepare for additional guests
The kitchen at Harvest House in Moncton, N.B., is pictured. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) Thursday was another busy day at the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen in Moncton and it's likely to get even busier in the coming days and weeks. Kitchen manager Barb Mackenzie said they serve between 80 to 100 meals a day, every Monday to Friday. But she expects those numbers to jump drastically. On Tuesday, Harvest House Atlantic executive director Leon Baker told CTV News they would be phasing out their meal programs and other services for people not staying at the shelter. Baker said provincial funding hasn't been cut, but they just can't afford the additional $38,000 a month for the services. Debbie Bieman and Barb Mackenzie Debbie Bieman and Barb Mackenzie at the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen in Moncton, N.B. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) Mackenzie believes that will put a strain on her operation. 'We are probably going to see a fair increase. I would say 20 to 30 people a day, I would imagine,' said Mackenzie. Debbie Bieman, the other full-time employee at Ray of Hope, said things are already hard enough. 'We're going to make it work, but yeah, there's going to be a strain definitely,' said Bieman. 'There's a strain now. It's hard. We're feeding twice the amount of people that we did last year at this time. Twice. We're not getting any more food. We're just making it stretch farther.' Barb Mackenzie Barb Mackenzie looks at her weekly schedule in the pantry of the Ray of Hope Soup Kitchen in Moncton, N.B. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) Around 100 meals are served a day a few blocks away at Karing Kitchen. 'We can't imagine it's not going to have an impact,' said executive director Bruce Lawson. Harvest House stopped serving breakfast this week and the breakfast program at St. George's Anglican Church is scheduled to stop at the end of the month. 'We're seeing an increase in our number even this week,' said Lawson. 'We're seeing new faces and we're seeing faces we haven't seen in a while showing up at our doors.' Bruce Lawson Bruce Lawson, the executive director of the Karing Kitchen in Moncton, N.B., is pictured. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) The Humanity Project serves between 250 and 300 meals a day seven days a week, but they actually ran short on Wednesday night by around 15 people. Staff scrambled to make sure no one went hungry, but Humanity Project founder Charlie Burrell said the end to programs provided elsewhere is going to have a huge impact on them. 'At supper time we're expecting to have quite a few more people showing up because they no longer have a meal one block over from us,' said Burrell. Like the staff at Ray of Hope, Burrell is expecting the extra mouths to feed will be a huge strain. 'This whole last year has been a huge strain. As the numbers keep increasing and going up, you need more volunteers to help and it's hard to fill those voids when the numbers just keep getting higher and higher day after day,' said Burrell. Charlie Burrell Humanity Project founder Charlie Burrell is pictured. (CTV Atlantic / Derek Haggett) Working Poor Lawson said only five to ten per cent of the people they serve are homeless. The hope is to receive more funding from the provincial government and donations from the general public as they do their due diligence in preparing for the extra guests. 'We've upped our seating capacity downstairs here. We've talked to our volunteers about the additional workload we're about to see. So yeah, we've covered all of our bases and we're ready willing and able to serve the additional people,' said Lawson. Everyone is welcome to come for a meal at Ray of Hope, not just the city's homeless. 'We've got senior citizens that have enough money to pay their rent, but they're hungry, they come in, we feed them,' said Bieman. 'We have moms and kids that come in. Little children, sweet little children.' Up to 30 per cent of the people served daily at the Humanity project are experiencing homeless. 'The rest are seniors on fixed incomes. Families with children,' said Burrell. 'Or you'll see people pull up in their work truck or in their work uniforms, get out and grab a meal because they can't afford rent. There's a lot of people struggling.' For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Arab News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel's aid restrictions deny Palestinian children ‘chance in life,' WFP chief says
LONDON: Israel's blocking of humanitarian aid to Gaza means a generation of Palestinian children are being denied a chance in life, the head of the UN's World Food Program said on Thursday. Israel imposed a full blockade on food and relief supplies from entering the territory on March 2, before breaking a ceasefire and resuming its devastating military operation a few weeks later. Limited supplies were allowed back in late last month but nowhere near to the scale required, WFP Director Cindy McCain told Sky News. 'It's very, very important that people realize that the only way to stave off malnutrition, catastrophic food insecurity and, of course, famine would be by complete and total access for organizations like mine,' she said. 'We're looking at a generation of children that won't have a chance in life because they haven't had the proper nutrients. Right now, we're looking at over 500,000 people within Gaza that are catastrophically food insecure.' The resumption of limited aid supplies came after Israel built new distribution hubs in the territory run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly formed US organization. Previously, the UN's Palestinian refugees agency UNRWA and the WFP were in charge of distributing aid in the territory. But Israel has banned UNWRA from working in Gaza and has taken control of the aid system. "Do you believe that Hamas is taking the aid?" - @SkyYaldaHakim Yalda Hakim speaks to the executive director of the World Food Programme @cindymccain as there are fears of famine in Gaza. Cindy replies: 'I have not seen anything like that. I have no way of knowing.' — Sky News (@SkyNews) June 4, 2025 Scores of Palestinians have been shot dead this week as they attempted to access one of the new aid hubs in the south of the territory. McCain said the new system was not allowing enough aid to get into Gaza to feed its malnourished population. Speaking to 'The World with Yalda Hakim,' she urged Israel to allow international aid to 'get in at scale.' 'We need safe, unfettered, clear access all the way in and we're not getting that right now,' she said. Her comments came as the GHF resumed its operations on Thursday after shutting down on Wednesday in response to the number of deaths near its hub. McCain is the latest aid agency chief to deliver strongly worded condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza, where its military operation has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023. On Wednesday, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric said Gaza had become 'worse than hell on earth.'
Arab News
31-05-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Anti-aircraft missiles fire as drones fly over Port Sudan: witnesses
PORT SUDAN, Sudan: Anti-aircraft missiles fired over Sudan's wartime capital Port Sudan on Saturday, eyewitnesses reported, as drones flew over the once-safe haven city. Since April 2023, war has raged between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Port Sudan, seat of the army-backed government, came under attack by drones blamed on the RSF for the first time early this month. The campaign of drone strikes attacked infrastructure including the country's last functioning civilian international airport, power stations and major fuel depots. The near-daily strikes had stopped for over a week until Saturday, when residents in the city heard 'the sound of anti-aircraft missiles north and west of the city and drones flying in the sky,' one witness told AFP. Since Sudanese authorities fled the capital Khartoum early in the war, Port Sudan has hosted government ministries, the United Nations and hundreds of thousands of people. Nearly all aid into the country — home to nearly 25 million people suffering dire food insecurity — transits through Port Sudan. The war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted 13 million and created what the UN describes as the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. It has also effectively split Sudan in two, with the army holding the center, east and north, while the paramilitaries and their allies control nearly all of Darfur and parts of the south. Since losing Khartoum in March, the RSF has adopted a two-pronged strategy: long-range drone strikes on army-held cities accompanied by counteroffensives to reclaim territory in the country's south. The drone strikes have impacted infrastructure across Sudan's army-held northeast, with attacks on power stations causing blackouts for millions of people. A blackout in Khartoum also cut off access to clean water, according to health authorities, causing a cholera outbreak that has killed close to 300 people this month.
