Yemen: Nearly half the population facing acute food insecurity in some southern areas

Yemen: Nearly half the population facing acute food insecurity in some southern areas

Yemen remains trapped in a prolonged political, humanitarian and development crisis, after enduring years of conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels, with populations in the south of the country now facing a growing food insecurity crisis. A partial update released Monday by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system – which ranks food […]

UN rights office ‘horrified’ by deadly violence at Gaza food distribution sites

UN rights office ‘horrified’ by deadly violence at Gaza food distribution sites

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Wednesday called on the Israeli military to cease the use of lethal force near aid convoys and food distribution sites. It cited “repeated incidents” of Palestinians being shot or shelled while seeking food, warning that such attacks could constitute war crimes under international […]

More Gazans killed trying to get food, healthcare near to ‘full disaster’

More Gazans killed trying to get food, healthcare near to ‘full disaster’

 “We are walking the fine grey line between operational capacity and full disaster, every day,” said Dr Thanos Gargavanis, WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, speaking from the enclave. The veteran UN medic’s comments came amid new reports on Tuesday morning that more Palestinians had been killed trying to access food, this time near an […]

Gaza: Search for food puts lives on the line

Gaza: Search for food puts lives on the line

Since the end of May, aid distribution in Gaza has been carried out by a mechanism backed by Israel and the United States bypassing UN agencies and their established partners, which has been plagued by deadly incidents and chaos. On Monday, UN partner the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 29 casualties […]

In Gaza, daily food intake has fallen well below ‘survival’ level

In Gaza, daily food intake has fallen well below ‘survival’ level

Latest data simulations from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) point to the average Gazan eating just 1,400 calories per day – “or 67 per cent of what a human body needs to survive” (2,300 calories) as of May. Between October 2023 and the end of December 2024, average intake was 1,510 calories per day, […]

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killings at food distribution sites

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killings at food distribution sites

More than 30 people were killed and over 100 wounded while waiting in the early morning to get food from two sites in Rafah and Middle Gaza run by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to media reports. The organization is backed by Israel and the United States and uses private US security […]

Desperate hunger drives crowd to storm UN food warehouse in Gaza

Desperate hunger drives crowd to storm UN food warehouse in Gaza

UN agencies warn that the decimated enclave is teetering on the brink of further chaos after months of war and the collapse of all essential services. The incident took place at WFP’s Al-Ghafari facility in Deir Al-Balah, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries which have been […]

UN aid teams plead for access amid reports Gazans shot collecting food

UN aid teams plead for access amid reports Gazans shot collecting food

Unverified footage from Rafah where the privately-run but Israeli military-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is based showed scenes of panic with crowds of people rushing in different directions, while others carried away boxes of supplies. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that it had received information that at least 47 people had been hurt on […]

Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

Conflict has plagued the DRC for decades, particularly in the east. Armed clashes escalated sharply this year as M23 rebels wrested control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January, followed by Bukavu in South Kivu a month later. The security and humanitarian situation further deteriorated with recent outbreaks of anthrax and mpox in April and […]

Aid teams highlight growing anxiety in Gaza after food is looted

Aid teams highlight growing anxiety in Gaza after food is looted

“Fifteen World Food Programme trucks were looted late last night in Southern Gaza, while en route to WFP-supported bakeries,” the UN agency said. “These trucks were transporting critical food supplies for hungry populations waiting anxiously for assistance.” The development is a blow to continuing efforts to help Gaza’s most vulnerable people after Israel allowed a […]

Another year, another rise in food insecurity – including famine

Another year, another rise in food insecurity – including famine

It is the first time since 2017 that a famine has been declared anywhere on Earth. In the 20 months since the war between rival militaries erupted, 13 million Sudanese have been forcibly displaced and over 30.4 million are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates. The inhabitants of the Zamzam camp, like […]

Gaza: Starvation looms for one in five people, say food security experts

Gaza: Starvation looms for one in five people, say food security experts

“Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks…The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity,” said the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform. In its latest update, the IPC estimated that one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 – faces starvation. Prices have […]

DR Congo aid operation reaches Beni with food supplies for thousands

DR Congo aid operation reaches Beni with food supplies for thousands

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that trucks packed with cereals, beans and cooking oil reached the city of Beni in North Kivu province from neighbouring Uganda, amid clashes between Rwanda-backed M23 rebel fighters and Congolese forces. Aid for 140,000 WFP said that it intends to use the thousands of tonnes of relief supplies […]

Sudan situation ‘absolutely devastating’ as UN ramps up food aid

Sudan situation ‘absolutely devastating’ as UN ramps up food aid

Speaking in Port Sudan after a visit to Khartoum, Samantha Chattaraj, Emergency Coordinator for the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan, said that “vast parts of the city are destroyed. Levels of hunger and desperation are extremely high,” but she added “people remain hopeful.” Sudan is currently the only country in the world where […]

WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza

WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza

On Friday, WFP announced it had delivered its last remaining supplies to kitchens preparing hot meals which are expected to be completely gone within days. The UN agency warned that it may be forced to end critical assistance to families unless urgent action is taken. Back to ‘breaking point’ “The situation inside the Gaza Strip […]

Hidden black diamond: Delicious, aromatic, rare ‘Appalachian truffle’

Hidden black diamond: Delicious, aromatic, rare ‘Appalachian truffle’

A hallmark of a truly luxurious meal is a sprinkling of truffle shavings — the fungal kind, not the chocolate. Nicknamed “diamonds” of the culinary world, these fanciful fungi are prized for their unique flavor and scent. But newer truffle species are fighting to achieve that same gourmet status. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have performed […]

More than 1.1 million sea turtles poached over last three decades: Study

More than 1.1 million sea turtles poached over last three decades: Study

One of the most serious threats to wildlife biodiversity, in addition to the climate crisis, is the illegal killing and trafficking of animals and plants. Despite many laws against the black-market wildlife trade, it is considered to be one of the most lucrative illicit industries in the world. Animals, especially endangered and threatened species, are […]