2020 has been a terrible year. It’s almost as if nothing could be worse than this. But if the head of the World Food Program at the United nation is to be asked, 2021 is going to far worse. According to David Beasley, the world is going to face famines of biblical proportions in 2021.
Beasley had warned the U.N. Security Council in April that as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic, we’re also on the brink of a hunger pandemic and are going to face some massive famines within the span of a few months.
“We were able to avert it in 2020 … because the world leaders responded with money, stimulus packages, deferral of debt.
-David Beasley
However, as the pandemic continues to rage on, economies have been shattered, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. So the money available in 2020 isn’t going to be around in 2021. Speaking to LiveMint he said:
This tragedy that we are facing — crises that really are going to be extraordinary over the next, who knows, 12 to 18 months
Likening the situation to the Titanic, he added:
Right now, we really need to focus on icebergs, and icebergs are famine, starvation, destabilisation and migration.
A WFP analysis has showed that the ongoing pandemic could push an additional 130 million people to the brink of starvation by the end of 2020.
We’re very, very, very concerned that with deferred debt payments for low- and middle-income countries resuming in January, new lockdowns and the rippling economic impact, 2021’s going to be a very bad year.
-David Beasley
New year is not going to be so happy after all.