Author William Lambers

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, is urging North and South Sudan to end the violence between them and build a lasting peace. Renewed fighting between the two sides, ahead of South Sudan’s new Independence Day on July 9th, is raising fears of another civil war. The two sides fought a two-decade-long war which ended in 2005 with a Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

By 1 June, about 40,000 people displaced from Abyei after the town's takeover by Sudan Armed Forces had been registered in the Abyei area, Unity State and the greater Bahr El-Ghazal region and were receiving humanitarian assistance. Credits: UNMIS/Issac Gideon.

In a statement released Saturday, the Secretary-General said he is “alarmed at the deterioration of the security situation and escalation of fighting in Southern Kordofan, which has left thousands homeless…and the situation in Abyei and the fate of those affected by the conflict in the area.” On Sunday there was late word of a possible agreement for all military forces to be removed from Abyei.

Read the full article at Examiner.com

A report in the New York Times said the United States is launching attacks against Al Qaeda in Southern Yemen. But while the U.S. is stepping up the pressure militarily, it also needs to help Yemenis fight hunger and malnutrition.

The conflict between President Saleh and those seeking his removal has made food prices skyrocket. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says that “prices of main food commodities have increased from April to May 2011: wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil and rice prices have increased by 10%, 4%, 13% and 8% respectively. Since January 2011, the prices for these commodities increased by 26% on average.” The domino effect of hunger is fast-moving.

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President Obama is facing a critical foreign policy test with hunger emergencies unfolding in Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, and other countries. Food has quickly moved to the top of the foreign policy agenda.

In Libya, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is trying to feed victims of the conflict between rebels and the dictator Muammar Qaddafi. In the western part of the country, humanitarian needs may be immense as fighting has blocked access routes to aid agencies.

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On Monday Diane Sawyer hosted a special on Afghanistan for ABC News. She posed the question: Are we winning the war? Well, we are certainly losing the war there against hunger and poverty.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says there are “7.3 million vulnerable and food-insecure Afghans.” You cannot win the peace in Afghanistan if hunger and malnutrition are so widespread.

Part of Sawyer’s coverage for Afghanistan might as well have started back in December when she hosted a 20/20 special, “Be the Change: Save a Life.” One of the features was about the life-saving food for children, called plumpynut.

Read the full article at Blogcritics Magazine

It was on June 5th, 1947 when Secretary of State George Marshall took to the podium at Harvard University’s graduation ceremonies. In his speech, Marshall proposed a European recovery program for nations lying in ruin from World War II.

He said, “Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist.”

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Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, is descending deeper into chaos by the hour. Humanitarian needs were massive in the country even before the political unrest and violence began to unfold in recent months.

With the upsurge in violence, there are reports of displacement and shortages of basic goods. Aid agencies continue to be hard at work in Yemen. But will they have the resources to carry out their relief missions in the short and long-term? Typically, many humanitarian operations in Yemen have been underfunded despite the fact the country has a high rate of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

Read the full article at Examiner.com

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is short $220 million to fight hunger in Afghanistan for the rest of this year. Child feeding programs are already the victim.

The WFP office in Afghanistan reports that shortages of high energy biscuits are preventing 520,000 children from receiving food at school. If low funding continues, an additional 500,000 children will lose school meals in June.

Read the full article at Blogcritics Magazine

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it’s resuming the hunger relief mission in the Sa’ada governorate of Northern Yemen. Along with its partner, Islamic Relief, WFP is bringing food aid to people who have been victimized by the years of conflict between the government and Al-Houthi rebels. Recent unrest in Sa’ada had temporarily suspended WFP activities to bring food to the hungry.

Photo from last year showing destruction is Sa'ada City resulting from the conflict between the Yemeni government and rebels (Aysha Twose/Save the Children)

The Sa’ada region is desperately in need of food aid, medical supplies, reconstruction, and a lasting peace. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the years of fighting, leading to lost livelihoods and increased risk of hunger and malnutrition.

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“Do not wait to be appointed “boss” to be a leader.” This is what Josette Sheeran, who directs the UN World Food Programme, told graduates at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

But what if a whole group of people decides to become the “boss,” at least for a while?

Take what happened back in 1947 when a train whistled across America making stops in various cities as it headed East. This may not seem out of the ordinary. But the purpose of this train most certainly was.

Read the full article with video at American Chronicle