The Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding Abroad

Published August 7, 2017 at 10:00 AM CDT

Men, women and children line up to be registered with the World Food Programme in South Sudan. South Sudan no longer has areas in famine, but almost 2 million people are on the brink of starvation. (Sam Mednick/AP)

With guest host Jane Clayson.

Famine. 20 million people now on the brink in Africa and the Middle East. We’ve got reporters on the frontlines.

Right now, today, the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II is unfolding from Yemen to Nigeria. 20 million people on the edge of famine. But most Americans don’t know it. Three reporters from the Christian Science Monitor went to see the crisis first-hand. In Madagascar, Ethiopia and Somaliland. They join us. This hour On Point: Drought and hunger now in the Middle East and Africa. — Jane Clayson

Guests

Peter Ford, global affairs correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. ( @peterfordcsm)

Ryan Lenora Brown, Africa correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. ( @ryanlenorabrown)

Scott Peterson, Middle East correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. ( @peterson__scott)

Geoffrey Dabelko, director of the Environmental Studies Program at Ohio University’s School of Leadership and Public Affairs. Co-editor of, “Green Planet Blues: Critical Perspectives on Global Environmental Politics.” ( @geoffdabelko)

From The Reading List

Christian Science Monitor: How a 20-million-person crisis goes unseen — “The world is facing its worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, with 20 million people on the brink of famine, and hardly anybody knows about it. Out of the media spotlight, the droughts and civil conflicts that are pushing the Horn of Africa, Yemen, and Nigeria into starvation are going unnoticed. And the humanitarian agencies trying to help are struggling to collect the money they need to help.”

Christian Science Monitor: Can famine be checked as Africa faces its worst crisis since the 1980s? — “From Madagascar to Ethiopia to Somalia and beyond, governments, international aid agencies, and the villagers they help are building up “community resilience.” That’s the new buzzword in humanitarian circles: It is seen as key to ensuring that farmers and herders have something to hold onto when drought strikes, rather than cycling endlessly in and out of disaster.”

Christian Science Monitor: Amid persistent drought, a nation of herders plots a new course — “Still, unlike so many Somalis forced to roam in search of scarce fodder and water, Madar is staying put – a major goal for a region whose centuries-old pastoralist culture is, out of necessity, beginning to envision a more sustainable future. That means improving water and aid systems. But it could also mean deep changes to most Somalis’ traditional way of life, shifting away from the nomadic patterns of camel- and livestock-herding to more stable – and anchored – livelihoods.”

Are you interested in donating to hunger relief efforts? Visit the Global Emergency Response Coalition for more information.