CONFLICT and mass displacement have pushed parts of Burma (Myanmar) and
Bangladesh near crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, food
agencies warned the UN security council on Monday.
The Global Early Warning – Early Action (EWEA) report from
the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
determines areas of the world that are most at risk of food insecurity,
allowing them to mitigate or even prevent their impact. Both Burma and
Bangladesh were rated as the highest level of risk and should start
implementing action immediately, according to the report.
Rohingya refugees line up to receive food supplies at Hakim Para refugee
settlement near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, November 21, 2017. Source:
Reuters/Susana Vera
The displacement of over 655,000 Rohingya refugees and the ongoing
conflict in Rakhine State has led to a lack of food access and fuel
options compound food insecurity. The report found that food insecurity
in the swelling refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, forces 77 percent of
households to adopt negative coping mechanisms. These included relying
on less expensive foods (90 percent), reducing the number of daily meals
(69 percent) and restricting adult consumption (68 percent).
Clean water is also scarce, with 60 percent of drinking water in refugee
camps being contaminated. Since Aug 25, more than 36,000 Acute Watery
Diarrhoea (AWD) cases were reported, including 10 deaths. With poor
hygiene practices in the camp, along with more refugees expected to
arrive, the spread of disease will likely worsen in coming months, the
report said.
The sheer scale of the refugee camps and the dramatic influx of people
has led to a scarcity of resources that threatens lasting damage and
tension with the host communities. The congestion has resulted in
limited land space, and the adoption of survival mechanisms – such as
the collection of firewood – has degraded the local environment.
As January to March is planting and growing season in Burma and
Bangladesh, the FAO have recommended charities and authorities support
home production and micro-gardening efforts among refugee populations
where possible. They also suggest supplying refugee households with safe
food storage equipment to prevent infestations and food-borne
illnesses.
Rohingya refugees prepare food in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, September 27, 2017. Source: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton
To avoid further degradation of the environment, land stabilisation and
erosion control are needed in areas where water sources, population
security and agricultural lands are threatened.
The organisation also recommends collaborative forest management farming
systems, and plant fast-growing fuelwood plants, tree nurseries and
seedlings to replenish the surrounding forests and restore resources for
the local communities.
In 2016, the number of hungry people in the world increased for the first time since the turn of the century, to 815 million people,
with more than half of them – 489 million – in conflict zones. The
intensification of conflict was a key driver of the surge in hunger
levels, after decades of decline.
Francis Mwanza, head of the World Food Programme office in London,
expressed his concern over the effects conflict was having on food
supply globally.
“For the World Food Programme, the price of conflict is becoming too
high. Eighty per cent of WFP expenditure occurs in conflict zones,” he
told The Guardian.
“The fear is if we continue having no access in a number of countries,
we may have famine conditions in some areas. If we want to reach zero
hunger, ending conflict is a major step in reaching that goal.”
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