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Global hunger crisis: 1 in 11 people face hunger, UN warns
Women in Lolachat Sub-county, Nabilatuk District in Karamoja Sub-region, which has been pounded by hunger in the recent months. PHOTO | SIMON PETER EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- Regional trends vary, with hunger increasing in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African sub-regions.
A staggering 733 million people, equivalent to one in eleven globally, faced hunger in 2023, according to the latest United Nations report.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published by five United Nations specialised agencies on July 24, 2024 reveals that the world is falling short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.
"We are facing a global hunger crisis, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008-2009," said the report.
Despite some progress in specific areas such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, the report says, an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023—approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering the mid-range (733 million).
Regional trends vary, with hunger increasing in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African sub-regions.
“Africa is the hardest hit, with 20.4 per cent of the population facing hunger, and Asia (8.1 per cent). From 2022 to 2023, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African sub-regions. Access to adequate food remains elusive for billions. If current trends continue, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030, half of them in Africa,” the report says.
UN’s specialised agencies include; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Key findings beyond hunger
The report highlights lack of economic access to healthy diets as a critical issue, affecting over one-third of the global population.
"In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has not changed significantly since the sharp upturn in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for an entire day or more at times,” report reads in part.
The report highlights that over 2.8 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. This disparity is most pronounced in low-income countries, where 71.5 per cent of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, compared to 6.3 perc ent in high-income countries.
While progress has been made in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates and reducing stunting among children, achieving global nutrition targets will be a challenge.
"The double burden of malnutrition – the co-existence of undernutrition together with overweight and obesity – has surged globally across all age groups," said the report.
Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation, conflict, climate change, and economic downturns.
"The world is not on track to reach any of the seven global nutrition targets by 2030," warned the report.
