famine

Here's what life is like in a city in the grip of Sudan’s brutal war

12:42pm November 01, 2024

The Sudanese city of Omdurman lives in the shadow of war, facing daily shelling and battered medical services. But some people are trying to eke out a return to life, however precarious.

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A Palestinian boy waits with his pot among a crowd in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, while trying to get a small amount of soup from one of the few soup kitchens, on Feb. 26.

World News

Boiling weeds, eating animal feed: People in Gaza stave off hunger any way they can

5:01am March 29, 2024

Palestinians in Gaza tell NPR they've resorted to boiling weeds in seawater, eating animal feed and grinding date pits. "If the bombs don't kill us, the hunger will," a teenage girl says.

Palestinian people with empty bowls wait for food at a donation point in Rafah. A report out this week shows widespread hunger and malnutrition in Gaza but stopped short of declaring it a "famine."

There's already 'catastrophic' hunger in Gaza. Who decides when to call it a 'famine?'

6:10pm March 22, 2024

by Nurith Aizenman

A report out this week says hunger, malnutrition and even starvation are widespread in Gaza, but stopped short of declaring it a 'famine.' Here's a primer on what that means, and who gets to decide.

Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024.

Famine in northern Gaza is 'imminent,' warns the world's leading authority on hunger

2:33pm March 19, 2024

by Jaclyn Diaz

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued a new report that concluded that the entire population in the Gaza Strip, more than 2 million, face serious food insecurity as war continues.

Fahir Mayow holds her nephew, eight-month-old Ahmed Noor, at Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu on Monday. Ahmed arrived at the hospital one week ago, weighing 3.5 kilograms, just under 8 pounds.

Somalia battles hunger as it braces for famine during a prolonged drought

3:12pm December 12, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

International aid groups are warning of a catastrophic food crisis, as Somalia faces what could be its worst drought in 40 years. Nearly 2 million children are suffering from malnutrition.

Children reach for food handouts in the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, which has destroyed rice, corn and wheat crops and left over a third of the country under water.

The number of hungry people has doubled in 10 countries. A new report explains why

4:43pm September 16, 2022

by Andrew Connelly

The charity Oxfam has issued a new report on hunger and climate change. In countries most severely affected, the number of people experiencing acute hunger has doubled in just 6 years.

A mother helps her malnourished son stand after he collapsed near their hut in the village of Lomoputh in northern Kenya on Thursday. A severe drought and spiking food prices are causing a humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa.

Drought and soaring food prices from Ukraine war leave millions in Africa starving

11:52am May 18, 2022

by Eyder Peralta

A report finds 23 million people are experiencing extreme hunger in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, which face their worst drought in 40 years. Food prices hit record highs after Russia attacked Ukraine.

How $6 billion from Elon Musk could feed millions on the brink of famine

8:11pm November 11, 2021

by Joanne Lu

Elon Musk reportedly made $36 billion in a single day. What if he gave a sixth of that to the World Food Programme? We ask researchers how much of a change $6 billion could bring.

A nurse checks a child who is receiving treatment for malnutrition at a hospital in Sana'a, Yemen. The photo was taken on December 13.

Health & Safety

The Story Of 1-Year-Old Abdullah Is The Story Of Yemen

11:42am December 23, 2020

by Rosemary MIsdary

His parents traveled 15 hours by bus to bring him to a clinic to save his life. He weighed 6 pounds. And he could be one of the fortunate ones.

Workers from the garment sector block a road during a protest to demand payment of due wages, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in April. Thousands of garment workers who produce items for top Western fashion brands protested against unpaid wages, saying they were mo

U.N. Warns Number Of People Starving To Death Could Double Amid Pandemic

10:10am May 05, 2020

by H.J. Mai

Some 700 million of the world's most vulnerable people will require food assistance, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, which is asking wealthy nations to commit $90 billion in aid.