Opinion: Climate-Related Hunger Is Rising — We Must Act Now

Three years ago, floods turned fields into ponds across South Sudan’s Jonglei State, where we estimate roughly 80% of people rely on livestock and subsistence farming to survive. Unable to plant seeds or feed their herds, severely malnourished families resorted to eating water lilies, with harsh health consequences. Floodwaters still remain — one example of how the climate crisis has become a hunger crisis — with devastating impacts.

Mounting disasters and chronic climate stress are reducing crop yields and making harvests less nutritious. Of the 35 countries at greatest risk from climate change, 27 are already experiencing extreme food insecurity. There is still time to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, fostering resilience while supporting recovery efforts.

Read more: Opinion: Climate-related hunger is rising — we must act now | Devex.