The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
March 12, 2021

World Food Programme Warns 34 Million Face Famine in Yemen, Ethiopia and Beyond
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The U.N. says over 88 million people around the world were facing acute
hunger by the end of 2020, and some 34 million are now on the brink of
famine. This is The World Food Programme's David Beasley.

David Beasley: "WFP estimates that at least 34 million people are
knocking on the door of famine. These looming famines have two things in
common: They are primarily driven by conflict, and they are entirely
preventable."

Beasley said Yemen is heading toward "the biggest famine in modern
history" and many parts of the country feel like "hell on Earth" after
years of food shortages and destruction brought on by the U.S.-backed,
Saudi-led war. We'll have more on Yemen later in the show with CNN
correspondent Nima Elbagir.

Humanitarian groups are also raising the alarm for millions in
Ethiopia's Tigray region amid the ongoing conflict, which has prevented
the delivery of food and other aid.


.