Madagascar Is On The Brink Of The World’s First Climate Change Famine And 1.1 Million Are Starving
Madagascar is on the brink of experiencing the world’s first ever famine directly caused by climate change instead of conflict.
Madagascar is on the brink of experiencing the world’s first ever famine directly caused by climate change instead of conflict.
The country is currently suffering its worst drought in 40 years, after four consecutive years of insufficient rainfall and sandstorms.
This has isolated farming communities, especially in the south of the island, which has consequently produced less than half of its usual harvest, leaving people struggling to find enough food to survive.
Roughly 28,000 people are currently experiencing extreme hunger, while at least 1.14 million people in the Grand Sud are suffering from acute food security, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme. The latter figure is likely to hit 1.31 million by the end of the year.
Cases of malnutrition in children under 5 have nearly doubled in just four months, according to the UN.
In order to survive, people are resorting to eating wild leaves, raw cactus fruits and insects such as locusts, the Telegraph reported.
“This is unprecedented. These people have done nothing to contribute to climate change,” a WFP spokesperson said. “They don’t burn fossil fuels… and yet they are bearing the brunt of climate change.”
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