At least one million people in Madagascar are battling with famine in what could be the first famine resulting from climate change
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the region has been hit hard by successive years of severe drought, forcing families in rural communities to resort to desperate measures just to survive.
The change in climate conditions has disrupted the unique ecosystem of the fourth largest island in the world with some communities not having a proper rainy season for three years.
While speaking to UN News on Thursday, WFP Communications Officer in the capital, Antananarivo, Alice Rahmoun stated that WFP is collaborating with humanitarian partners, and the Malagasy Government, to provide two types of response to the crisis.
According to her, about 700,000 people are receiving life-saving food aid, including supplementary products to prevent malnutrition.
She further stated that WFP ultimately aims to support up to one million people between now and April,2022 and is seeking nearly $70 million to fund operations.
In just over a week, world leaders will gather in Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 UN climate change conference, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called the last chance to “literally turn the tide” on an ailing planet.