Tuesday, September 9 – In response to UN-designated famine in Gaza and Sudan, Jenique Jones, Executive Director of WhyHunger – a nonprofit working to end world hunger and the injustices that cause it – issued the following statement:
“For 50 years, WhyHunger has worked to advance the human right to nutritious food for all people. Today, we urgently call on all governments and militaries to rapidly allow plentiful, life-saving aid into Gaza and North Darfur and to end the violence that is preventing people from safely accessing food and water. We stand in solidarity with the people who are facing an unprecedented crisis of hunger, starvation, and famine.
While our work around the world often confronts challenges like unexpected climate disasters or resource scarcity, the crises in Gaza and Sudan are different. These are man-made humanitarian emergencies, and the international community has the capacity and resources to respond immediately with food and water to help save people.
As the crises continues, we must also protect communities’ long-term food security and food sovereignty. From the loss of the national seed bank in the West Bank to attacks on farmers in Sudan, the destruction of farmland and loss of traditional seeds are jeopardizing generations of food access. All farmers need safe access to land, seeds and water to ensure food security and resilience for themselves and their communities.
Hunger is a policy choice. As a global anti-hunger organization, we cannot remain silent while policies enforce starvation and deny people the basic human right to food anywhere around the world. As malnutrition, starvation and famine spread, we are witnessing irreversible damage to entire communities. We must raise our voices in solidarity with the international community and demand immediate intervention.
Everyone, everywhere deserves the human right to nutritious food.”
About WhyHunger:
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment. Learn more at whyhunger.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
