[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] brent: this is dw news live from berlin. for countries in a family emergency. can the world save millions from starving to death echo the united nations says well over one million children could die in her evasion. we will look at more of the countries most affected and ask what can be done to end the suffering. also coming up. as iraq's military closes in on mosul, civilians start to flee. but hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the city still under the control of the islamic state. how to prevent health emergencies like the ebola outbreak.

medical specialists are in berlin to debate all of the prescriptions for a healthier world. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff, good to have you with us. tonight, children on the verge of starving to death. the u.n.'s children's agency is warning that almost 1.4 million children could die of starvation this year. in four countries suffering from famine. let's look at the areas affected. unicef says in northeastern nigeria, there is an ongoing conflict with boko haram. 450,000 children are severely mound lashed -- malnourished. somalia has been experiencing drought and unrest for years. 270,000 children are at risk. a proxy war in yemen has

destroyed the economy of that country. nearly 500,000 children are starving in what has become the poorest country in the middle east. and civil war and drought have led the government in south sudan to declare a famine in parts of that country with over 250,000 children facing hunger there. that is where our first report takes us. reporter: children and babies are the worst affected. in south sudan, there have been deaths from malnourishment. but the problem goes deeper. food, clean water, medical attention. unicef is sounding the alarm. the u.n. children's charity says the lives of 1.4 million children are in danger. >> if we don't act now, tens of thousands of children will die, for sure. if we act now, we can save lives.

these days, weeks, and months will be decisive. reporter: the famine is largely the result of conflict and political turmoil. in yemen, the civil war has made life difficult. >> elite agencies can't reach those in need. the economy has partially collapsed. reporter: with over one million people in desperate need, the government has promised you and agencies access to the worst affected areas. it workers know there is no time to lose. brent: we are joined by steve tarbell a in washington. steve, it's good to have you on the show. what are the different reasons

we are seeing the situation at the moment? reporter: i was pleased to hear your reporter described this is a man-made con act. that is what we are facing here. the world program response to earthquakes, flooding, typhoon. this is a case, this severe crisis could have been averted. the fighting over the past three years has made it impossible to meet the countries food needs. especially resources, energy, attention has been devoted to agricultural production to the conflict. you can't farm if you are fighting. the fighting has led to a shortage of food commodities. and where there is food, there just isn't enough money to buy it. the economy has deteriorated to the point where i think 82 south

sudanese pounds are needed to buy one u.s. dollar. it is down from a year ago. it is pretty dramatic. brent: you have done a good job of showing us the hurdles people are facing trying to feed themselves. what about people trying to help like you? what is the hurdle? reporter: one is basic access. we often don't have safe, regular access for aid workers to get in and reach those areas where people are hungry. for people to feel safe leaving their homes and come out and reach distribution points. the bigger answer, it's one people tire of hearing. it's just funding. the reality is it is a dire situation.

we risk running out of food in south sudan. we need $205 million immediately for this one country of the four that you discussed. brent: are you going to get the money that you need? reporter: we hope. we are appealing through platforms like this to people. the german market has been extremely generous over the years. as well as many other countries. we need more than has come in. it is just an unprecedented situation globally. while watching closely three others we see on the brink of salmon. somalia, nigeria, and yemen. this being disaster for the global humanitarian community. it has never happened. we are asking both national

governments and individuals that have already been so generous to step up even more because people are dying even as we speak. brent: steve tarbell a joining us from washington. think you very much for your time. reporter: thank you for your interest in this story. brent: ira their game south of most lovely prepare to move into the islamic eight held western half. small groups of civilians have begun fleeing to government control areas. hundreds of thousands of people -- reporter: this iraqi officer barely blink says he stares out from the frontline near westernmost. -- western basel. -- western mosul.

the soldier commencing to remove his close. with each new person fleeing towards them comes a fresh threat of a possible suicide bomber. we are checking their close and we are seeing them. it is obvious if they are civilians or i.s. fighters. when we get closer, we check them some more and talk to them. holding white flags. some are children. others say we have to leave family behind. the family and children that stay behind. because of the airstrikes and the mortars. got has been merciful and we have been able to leave. they are free. 750 people remain trapped. the u.s. backed iraqi forces are

expecting to encounter larger groups of civilians. the ground attack to retake a so-called islamic state's final stronghold began on sunday. months of intense fighting is on the horizon. fears of a humanitarian crisis are growing. brent: joining us from iraq is georgina from the humanitarian aid the. thank you for taking time to talk with us. what are you hearing from people that have fled? can you describe the conditions for civilians there? georgina: what we have been hearing from people that fled over the last days is that they have been living under a grueling situation. they have been living under a

harsh regime. they are restricted and afraid to go out of their homes. they have their lives disrupted. people have been unable to access their jobs and salaries. it has been extremely difficult for them to meet their needs. there is 750,000 people stuck in the western half of mosul. 40% have access to safe drinking water. 80% of the necessary goods are inaccessible to people. that is because the supply lines are posed into the city for the last few and people haven't been able to earn anything for years. they can't afford what's available. brent: and we're hearing predictions it could take six months for western muscle to fall. what do people do in that situation? what preparations as your agency making for what will be a further deterioration of

conditions? >> is difficult to know how quickly people are going to come out of muscle. as we saw in the east half of the city, conditions might get worse. we are preparing for people, one hundred thousand people to displace. the humanitarian community is setting up camp's. international rescue committee is getting ready to provide essential items to people from toothbrushes to mattresses. people essentially have to flee with nothing. brent: we have heard tonight from the united nations, from yemen, and now from you. all eight organizations need more help. are you getting the help and the aid that you need to do your job?

georgina: funding is something that we very much need. we have been well-funded in the iraq appeal, but we need more. this isn't going to end quickly. we know from the eastern half of the city, villagers that we have taken several months ago, buildings are still destroyed. people have not gone back to work. there's no power, no electricity. there are remnants of war. and the fabric of society needs to be built back after the divisions created by isis. let's important is the international community providing support for the longer term. brent: georgina, thank you for talking with us from the international rescue committee. we appreciate your time. it court in israel has handed down an 18 month prison sentence.

convicted of shooting dead and injured palestinian in the west bank. the palestinians family calls the sentence a travesty. reporter: they are asking for a sentence of three to five years and judges headed down a much shorter jail term, taking into account the value of life and the mitigating factors surrounding the killing. for his supporters that staged a rally, 18 months is ill too much. -- is still too much. >> i think the decision in the court isn't relevant. what is relevant is what the jewish people always will think. and all the jewish people in israel think he is a hero. what he is supposed to do. reporter: he watched the

sentence on television and says it is a travesty. >> i want to say one thing, getting a year and a half is a joke. this is not a sentence. if one of us killed an animal, they would put him in jail for god knows how long. they are only making fun of us. reporter: footage of the incident played a major role during the trial. it shows sharif on the ground wounded after stabbing a soldier. it can be seen shooting him in the head from some distance away. during the trial, he said he believed the man was wearing a suicide belt. the military prosecutor says the verdict sends a strong message to the military about the need to follow protocol. he did not dispute the length of the sentence. it is your to us that this is not an easy day for the defendant. justice must be done and it has been done.

the case has sharply divided israel. many believe the military code of is out of touch with a look opinion. polls show 70% of the public support a pardon. brent: we will take a short break. more news right after this.

brent: welcome back here with dw news. the united nations has warned that well over one million children could die of starvation in four countries blinded by war and drought. the countries affected our northeastern nigeria, somalia, south sudan, and yemen. the third international german forum is meeting in berlin to debate ways to make the world a healthier place. 120 international experts or hosted by the german chancellor on goa merkel. they discussed how to prevent disasters such as an outbreak of

ebola. reporter: the worst ebola epidemic today to date erected in and west africa in 2014. the virus killed more than 10,000 people, the epidemic overwhelmed the health care systems in the affected countries. in the run-up to the forum, chancellor angela merkel talked about the health crisis in her weekly video podcast. >> the international community did not respond fast enough to the ebola outbreak. doctors without borders and other organizations felt very much left alone. 120 experts have gathered at the chancellor's office to discuss ways to prevent any further health crises and how to develop strategies for providing decent health care to people around the globe.

>> we need more money and resources in prevention. the second thing is, health workers that can go to the doors. we are seeing too little health literacy. >> well over one billion people suffer from preventable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. the government wants to promote research to improving health care, but it is not just altruism. >> we germans have an enduring interest in ensuring other people can live well. to address the reasons people become migrants. it includes improving health care. medical science alone will not they the day. politicians around the world have to get active as well. brent: business news now with helena. the tremors of wrecks it being felt in the london city yet again.

helena: british making joined hsbc saying that they expect a shift from london to paris. so it can continue to operate within the european union without any problems. it partly blames brexit for a net profit plunges 82% last year. it is because of the following pound following the referendum result. expected gridlock in italy's main cities. taxi drivers continued to snarl up the streets there. they were out in force again on tuesday, wanting to force the government to crack down on burgeoning limousine businesses. >> for the sixth day in a row, they are afraid of using income to u.s. competitor goober.

regulations don't apply to goober drivers. this is very serious for us because we are a public service. the crisis was an obligation to serve clients. we are an integral part of the public transportation service. can no longer began to. income is no longer guaranteed. taxi drivers have the support of rome's mayor. rules should be made by the city administration and not by the central government. of a transport involves more than bus and tram line services. it has to be regulated as it already is in a clear way. of course it can be improved.

to join the protest, thursday, others will go on strike as well. helena: opel here in germany can breathe a sigh of relief for now. they are not going anywhere for the time being despite a likely takeover by french carmaker. it was the outcome of 35 minutes of highest level talks involving the german chancellor. >> good news for opel employees. following talks between angela merkel and the chief executive, their jobs will remain secure. the works council is confident the french will continue to be cooperative. our mutual goal is to strengthen opel as an independent brand and allow the companies to keep operating independently within the psa group. psa said it would uphold existing agreements after the

acquisition. that applies to wage and were council agreements as well as employment and production site guarantees. opel employs 19,000 people in germany whose jobs will remain secure through the end of 2018. in addition, opel's current parent has pledged to continue investing in and producing at three german sites until 2020. the psa group supports the idea of running opel and its partner as independent companies. the french are planning to establish themselves as he european carmaking champion with five brands. each with a strong presence in their home markets. helena: pretty routine for many of us. when we spot our mobile phone is low on battery, we go into a cafe and perhaps order a cappuccino. but sell services and going down well with one cafe owner.

reporter: it's not only drinks that feature on the menu of this cafe. electricity does. it costs one euro to charge a mobile device here. the owner has a clear response to her electricity pilfering guests. >> you're working here. you're working at my expense with mobile phones, tablets, pcs. why should i pay for your work? reporter: it is not just famous for its churches but it's coffee houses. there is a tradition of lengthy visits. people read books or newspapers. now they bring their tablets and smartphones. the european chamber of commerce is sympathetic to the cafe owners cause. >> we support the free enterprise system, so it's up to the owner. but she must inform the guests

beforehand. reporter: it seems there is little guests can do other than foot the bill. or head to another cafe. helena: that is certainly one business model. it is the latest from the business desk. brent: i wondered why a cappuccino could cost five euros. now we know. now to humanoid robots do the ages. the subject of an exhibit in. -- exihibition. the robots are out to get us. >> is there anybody there? >> they can talk, communicate with people, and imitate racial expressions. some robots even look human. it can be quite unnerving.

robo thespian is one of the star traction's. this life-size humanoid robot was designed to communicate and entertain. the science museum's robot show comprises more than 100 humanoid bots. >> there is this desire, i think, first of all, to build them for entertainment. this idea of creating mechanical people. demonstrating technological advancements. the largest collection of humanoid robots ever assembled. taking us from very early models. the 16th century mechanized monk to this highly realistic communication android which is never been seen outside japan before. these days, robots are employed

in many areas. in industry and research. as toys. and now, increasingly, even as performers. ♪ brent: and they never have the powder their nose. here's a look at the top stories we are following for you. well over one million children could die of starvation in four countries blinded by war and drought. northeastern nigeria, somalia, south sudan, and yemen. government forces in iraq say they are consolidating their position south of mosul after recapturing 123 square kilometers of territory.

they're hoping to route the so-called islamic state from the nations second-largest city. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. more on children starving to death in a famine emergency.

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