Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa

Conflict and AIDS fuelling global hunger

    JOHANNESBURG

    Armed conflict is not only a major cause of global hunger, but also a catalyst for the spread of HIV/AIDS, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a new report this week.

    In its 'Assessment of the World Food Security Situation', the FAO said war "destroys lives, opportunities and environments" and "contributes to the spread of AIDS through displacement, rape or commercial sex".

    It warned that the Millennium Development Goals of halting the spread of AIDS and reducing by half the number of hungry people in the world by 2015 was "almost certain to be missed by a wide margin" if current trends persisted.

    Expressing concern over the situation in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the FAO stressed that conflict could destroy in hours and days what has taken years and decades to develop.

    Access the full report: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/009/J4968e/j4968e00.htm

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join