The United Nations (UN) World Food Program (WFP) has warned that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could push at least 14 million people into hunger in Latin America.
In 2019, more than 3.4 million people experienced severe food insecurity and now the officials expect the number could increase by four times in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Miguel Barreto said, “We are entering a very complicated stage. It is what we are calling a hunger pandemic.”
People in Latin America are already showing signs of mounting hunger and some are violating lockdown measures to go out in search of food and money. Most of them are informal workers, while others are those who have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis.
The increasing number of people going into hunger comes as the coronavirus pandemic is increasingly ravaging Latin America.
In April, WFP head David Beasley warned that more than 130 million people could be “pushed to the brink of starvation” globally by the end of 2020.
The sharp rise in hunger could lead to consequences such as higher levels of chronic childhood malnutrition and security issues.
The WFP has urged countries to expand their social safety to those who traditionally do not qualify for aid. Many governments and non-government organizations have been stepping up by providing food deliveries and cash transfers; however, they are facing economic and logistical issues.
Experts say Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to see a 5.3% economic contraction this year. “We could enter another lost decade,” said Alicia Bárcena, chief of the U.N.’s regional economic branch.
“Latin American governments hardly have the resources to finance their current levels of spending,” according to Sergio Guzmán, head of Colombia Risk Analysis. According to the UN’s estimate, an additional 30 million people are expected to face poverty and another 16 million may face extreme poverty in Latin America.
