War, hunger, natural disasters, and desert locusts are ravaging the world for a long time now. With COVID-19 now in the equation, a global famine of Biblical proportions looms with millions of people to be thrown at the brink of starvation if the situation continues.
As of April 23, there are 2.6 million people infected by the novel coronavirus detected in December 2019. It has now killed 183,336 people worldwide.
For those spared by the pandemic, they face the unimaginable extent of famine. Executive Director of the World Food Programme David Beasley said there could be an additional 130 million people at the brink of starvation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure is on top of the already 135 million people across 55 countries facing hunger due to conflicts and other natural disasters. Currently, Beasley said WFP is only offering a lifeline to only 100 million people.
"The global spread of COVID-19 has sparked the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two," Beasley said.
WFP's 20202 Global Report on Food Crises noted that out of the 135 million people, 60% are living in the poorest of the poor countries like Yemen. Currently, the situation in Yemen is showing strong signs that people facing hunger could exceed 17 million. That means 300,000 people a day could die if food relief were not delivered on timely bases, according to Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization Qu Dongyu. The worst thing is that the number does not include those who will be thrown to starvation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, there have been reports about food looting in other parts of the world due to lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In Colombia, residents of Bogota and Medellin are protesting, claiming that food and aid packages promised by President Ivan Duque didn't arrive. They accused government officials of embezzlement and corruption. People clashes with police as lootings were reported in Medellin.
To date, Colombia has 4,356 confirmed cases of COVID-19 while deaths are at 206. While that number is relatively few compared to European countries, many of the country's residents belong to the manual labor sector. They don't receive pay while businesses are halted due to lockdowns in place.
Lootings were also reported in South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa imposed a five-week lockdown to stop the virus from spreading. Four weeks into the country's 35-day lockdown, people have reportedly broken into food shops and other essential establishments due to hunger.
South Africa has 3,636 confirmed cases and 65 deaths.
In the Philippines, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo condemned alleged robbing of relief goods by the New People's Army (NPA) in Eastern Samar and Masbate. NPA is the country's guerilla group.
The Philippines has 6,710 confirmed cases and 446 deaths.
In Italy, the government deployed police in Palermo, Sicily following reports the mafia and other gangs are plotting attacks on stores to loot essentials as early as March.
Italy has 187,327 confirmed cases and 25,085 fatalities.
