Next year is "going to be catastrophic" in terms of worldwide humanitarian crises, World Food Program executive director David Beasley warned on Friday, per Reuters.
Driving the news: The stark outlook comes as many countries contend with not only the coronavirus pandemic, but also possible famine, economic instability, conflict and other humanitarian crises. A record 235 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection next year, a nearly 40% increase from 2020, the UN projected earlier this week
- On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged nations to take greater action on climate change to end the "war on nature," saying "the state of the planet is broken."
What he's saying: “2021 is literally going to be catastrophic based on what we’re seeing at this stage of the game,” Beasley told a special meeting covering COVID-19, per Reuters.
- The WFP chief also said that famine is "knocking on the door" of dozens of countries.
- 2021 is likely to be “the worst humanitarian crisis year since the beginning of the United Nations," Beasley added.
- "We’re not going to be able to fund everything ... so we have to prioritize, as I say, the icebergs in front of the Titanic.”
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also told the UN General Assembly Friday that people "simply cannot accept a world in which the poor and marginalized are trampled by the rich and powerful in the stampede for vaccine.
- “This is a global crisis and the solutions must be shared equitably as global public goods," he said, urging countries to invest in a global vaccine-sharing program.
- "Sharing the fruits of science is not charity, it’s in the best interests of every nation."
