Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Nov. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Action Against Hunger, a nonprofit leader working to end hunger in our lifetime, is calling on global leaders to pledge binding climate investments designed to address hunger and health. With 27 out of the 35 countries most impacted by climate change currently suffering from extreme food insecurity and with famine looming, the nonprofit said that governments, corporations, and private donors must prioritize support for climate-resilient food systems.
“The climate crisis is a health and hunger crisis and we need bold action that puts the most impacted communities first,” said John Otieno, Regional Advocacy Officer for Action Against Hunger in the Horn and Eastern Africa. “Smallholder farmers produce one-third of the world’s food and are among the people most affected by climate change. Yet, they receive only 1.7% of global climate finance. We have a narrowing window to protect their futures and the future of our planet.”
Otieno and other Action Against Hunger leaders are playing an active role in COP27 to advocate for urgent policy changes and advance innovative solutions. Its experts will appear at multiple sessions live-streamed and in-person including:
- 12th November, 3-4 pm (EET): "Climate and Hunger Crisis: Governance and Solutions" with Yvonne Takang, Advocacy Expert, Action Against Hunger
- 12th November, 4.30-5.30 pm (EET), Blue Zone: "Securing Nutrition Together! Locally-led Adaptation in East Africa" with John Otieno, Regional Advocacy Officer for Action Against Hunger in the Horn and Eastern Africa
- 17th November, 4.00-5.30 pm (EET), Blue Zone: "Climate Resilient Food Systems and Planetary Health - Multidisciplinary Experiences on Achieving Food Security and Combating Malnutrition in East Africa" with John Otieno, Action Against Hunger
“We urge global leaders to support transformative agricultural initiatives, clean water security, new food systems, and locally-led adaptations,” said Mamadou Diop, Action Against Hunger’s regional representative in West and Central Africa. “Action Against Hunger supports millions of people around the world who are acutely threatened by poverty and hunger and their needs are far greater than the resources available to help. There is an urgent need for funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation. During COP27, we must unite to create a climate-resilient world that is free from hunger, for everyone, for good. which should go directly to local communities and civil society organizations.”
This is the first time that the UN Climate Change Conference is taking place in Africa, a continent particularly hard-hit by the impact of climate collapse on health and hunger. Around 278 million people in Africa are chronically hungry, or about 20% of the African population, compared with 10% of the global population facing chronic hunger.
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About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is leading a global movement to end hunger in our lifetimes. It innovates solutions, advocates for change, and reaches 24 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, its 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. It strives to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
