The global pandemic, coupled with conflict and climate crisis-related weather patterns has delayed the goal of eradicating world hunger by 2030.
A new report by the United Nations (UN) has shed light on an increase in the number of people facing hunger in recent years.
According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, an additional 122mn people have been pushed into hunger since 2019.
Although global hunger numbers have plateaued between 2021 and 2022, there are still many regions facing deepening food crises, prompting calls for a global effort to address the root causes of food insecurity.
Last year, nearly 30% of the global population – equivalent to 2.4bn people – did not have constant access to food. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) of ending hunger by 2030 is in jeopardy, and action is required to identify and highlight regional issues, and reverse the increase in global hunger levels since before the pandemic.
Although global hunger numbers have plateaued between 2021 and 2022, there are still many regions facing deepening food crises. While Asia and Latin America have made progress in reducing hunger, Western Asia, the Caribbean, and all sub regions of Africa have witnessed an increase. Africa remains the worst-affected region, with one in five people facing hunger, more than twice the global average.
In response to the report findings, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an intense and immediate global effort to address the root causes of food insecurity, emphasising the need to build resilience against crises and shocks, such as conflict and climate crisis.
The SOFI report highlights the food security and nutrition challenges in 2022. Of the 2.4bn people facing a lack of constant access to food, around 900mn individuals faced severe food insecurity.
Moreover, access to healthy diets has deteriorated since the global pandemic, with 3.1bn people unable to afford a nutritious diet in 2021, an increase of 134mn people compared with 2019.
The impact of these conditions is particularly pronounced for children. The report reveals that 148mn children under five years of age were stunted, 45mn were wasted, and 37mn were overweight in 2022.
“While exclusive breastfeeding rates have seen some progress, by boosting women’s nutrition, more concerted efforts are needed to meet the malnutrition targets by 2030,” according to World Economic Forum.
Undoubtedly, hunger is a complex and multifaceted issue that continues to affect millions of people worldwide. Hunger is not just about the absence of food; it is a result of various interlinked factors that contribute to insufficient access to nutritious and safe food.
Efforts to combat hunger involve a combination of strategies, such as promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving infrastructure, ensuring access to education and healthcare, addressing poverty, and implementing social safety net programmes.
Therefore, collaboration among governments, non-governmental organisations, international agencies, and local communities is crucial to making significant progress in reducing global hunger.