Madagascar on the brink of first climate-induced famine, UN warns

A four-year drought has pushed at least 30,000 people in southern Madagascar to level five of famine, the UN warned.

The island nation of Madagascar has endured four years of drought, brought on by one of the world’s first famines to be caused by climate change, with people forced to eat locusts and wild leaves to survive. The country has long been prone to droughts and floods, but this time around, a roughly four-year spell of drought has pushed at least 30,000 people to level five of famine – the highest internationally recognised level of food insecurity, according to the UN World Food Programme. It fears that the figure could rise dramatically. More than 1.1 million people in the East African island country are experiencing some form of severe food insecurity and require urgent food and nutrition assistance, the UN has said.