Statement From Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, on Early Warning Data for Famines

We cannot prevent the world's hungriest people from starving if we are flying blind.

Last week, FEWS NET - the primary early-warning system for hunger - stopped providing data on Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, three of the countries where people suffer most from food insecurity. I have seen firsthand how this system saved lives by anticipating food shortages and other shocks before they hit. This latest decision means the world will lose access to information on a total of 38.1 million people who are expected to face food crisis or more severe forms of hunger this year.

As the United States and other wealthy countries slash funding for development and humanitarian assistance, we are damaging our collective ability to anticipate famines before they become costly, devastating catastrophes with the potential to spill over borders. Studies have shown that every $1 invested in protecting food supplies before crisis strikes can save up to $7 by preventing damage and loss later on. Global data systems serve as collective public goods that are more durable and less vulnerable to disruption from political and economic shifts. Today, satellite imagery, AI, mobile technology, and locally collected data give us the ability to see these shocks coming and act early. The next generation of humanitarian assistance should prioritize harnessing these technologies to modernize early-warning systems, and put those tools in the hands of countries and communities - combining better information and smarter financing to produce faster action.

The Rockefeller Foundation and our partners know that a locally led, data-driven, technology-enabled humanitarianism - a preventative system focused on longer-term resilience rather than reacting to individual crises - is not just possible but within reach. Together, we are working to put the power of data at the center of humanitarian work, from generating better information from new sources, to integrating disparate data streams to offer a fuller picture of an emerging crisis, to ensuring local leaders have the information they need to take action. We look forward to expanding our efforts alongside public, private, and philanthropic partners to continue supporting lifesaving efforts while boldly reimagining how these efforts can do even more to serve vulnerable communities in the years to come.

• Dr. Rajiv J. Shah

  President, The Rockefeller Foundation, President's Office, The Rockefeller Foundation