The Government does not appear to have a plan to tackle the catastrophic worldwide hunger crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and other issues, MPs on the International Development Committee have warned.
A new report by the committee said nearly 50 million people in 43 countries are on the edge of famine and that food shortages could, without immediate action, lead to an 鈥榚xplosion of child deaths鈥� in the Horn of Africa.
But the MPs claimed the Government鈥檚 main long-term policy document on the subject 鈥� its Development Strategy, published in May 鈥� does not set out how it will provide food assistance to prevent this catastrophe, nor how the UK plans to contribute to averting such a crisis in the future.
The report blamed the impending crisis on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, food price inflation, extreme weather such as a recent heatwave in India and a drought in the Horn of Africa, and other conflicts which have destroyed local markets in Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Yemen.
The chair of the International Development Committee, Sarah Champion, said: 鈥淲e have not seen disaster on this scale since the Second World War.
鈥淭he Government is not responsible for all of this crisis, but as one of the richer nations it is certainly failing to do enough about it.
鈥淲e need a comprehensive, workable strategy - not just reactions day by day. We have the resources and the expertise in this country to mount a meaningful plan. But it appears our Government is fiddling while the world burns.鈥�
The report made several recommendations for a comprehensive strategy to address food insecurity, including increasing humanitarian funding, promoting sustainable agriculture, supporting Ukraine to deliver its food produce to internal and external markets and working with international partners to avert famine.
