On 27 May 2020, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported that nearly 14 million people are at serious risk of missing meals. The report was released in the wake of the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) referring to the Americas as the “epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic,” with cases topping 2.4 million and a death toll of over 143,000. 

In a recent WFP survey conducted in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, 17% of respondents indicated that they consume one meal per day or, in some cases, none at all. The situation is likely to worsen as the pandemic’s negative economic impact reverberates in the region for months to come. 

In Haiti, experts estimate that the number of people experiencing food insecurity will increase from 700,000 to 1.6 million. The PAHO has warned of “an impending humanitarian crisis” in the region due to the onset of COVID-19, and the crisis is catalysed by growing food insecurity. 

Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are particularly affected, as there has been a rise from 540,000 to more than 1 million cases of severe food insecurity during the coronavirus outbreak. In Colombia, residents in slums near Bogotá are hanging red cloth from their homes to signal a lack of food in the household.

THE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN 

National lockdowns in response to the pandemic have meant school closures for millions of children around the world. Many children in Latin America and the Caribbean rely on school meals as a source of nutrition, with most viewing it as the only proper meal they receive on a daily basis. 

Despite joint efforts from the international and local communities to help alleviate the plight of children deprived of school meals during lockdown, many children in urban areas remain at the greatest risk of famine–with some subsisting on no more than a single mango in a day. 

WFP #MISSINGTHISMEAL CAMPAIGN

In the current climate of restrictions due to national and local lockdown rules, families are losing their primary source of income. Many people suffering from chronic illness or undergoing medical treatment are faced with an impossible choice: either feed themselves and their families, or fund (sometimes) lifesaving medical treatment. 

The future remains bleak in view of the predicted economic downturn in the region, which will unfortunately hit hardest those who rely on informal work to receive an income. In some countries, such as Bolivia, this means that 60% of the population may be negatively impacted with women being disproportionately affected. 

In light of this painful reality, the WFP has requested donations as part of the #MissingThisMeal campaign in order to fund the preparation and delivery of essential meals to people who need it most in the region. However, despite this lifeline, the pandemic has been “emptying bowls quicker than [the WFP] can fill them”. With hurricane season around the corner for some of these countries, vulnerable people experiencing food security in the region need sustained, effective help–and quickly. 

Melisa is a feminist and human rights activist based in the Birmingham, UK. She plays an active role in countless projects including academic research and UPR stakeholder contributions. She is an aspiring barrister hoping to specialise in public, constitutional and international law, with the goal of one day working with the United Nations. She will be undertaking a masters of international human rights law in September 2020. She has experience in advocating for sexual and reproductive rights and the right to education; focusing on establishing gender equality and diminishing gender-based violence. She is currently in the process of establishing a community in the UK that focuses on spreading awareness about women’s global health and LGBTQI+ Rights.

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