Nutritional situation - UN Report: Around 733 million people affected by hunger
733 million people worldwide were affected by hunger in the year 2023, according to the United Nations. This equates to one in eleven people, one in five in Africa. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report warns that the global community is likely to miss the goal of ending hunger in all its forms by 2030. The report was presented at the G20 meeting of the Task Force of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The proportion of the world population suffering from hunger has remained at high levels for the past three years. In the previous year, between 713 and 757 million people were affected by hunger – an average of 733 million people. This represents an increase of 152 million people compared to 2019, the year before the onset of the Coronavirus crisis.
Regional trends varied: In Africa, the proportion of the population suffering from hunger increased by 20.4%, while it remained stable in Asia at 8.1%. In Latin America, the report indicated a progress of 6.2%. If current trends continue, approximately 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, it was warned. This forecast is the same as that of 2015, the year the global goals for sustainable development (SDGs) were adopted.
Billions of people without access to adequate food
The UNICEF stated that the global fight against hunger has been set back by approximately fifteen years, citing the report. The current global prevalence of hunger is comparable to that of 2008/2009.
According to the report, around 2.33 billion people – nearly 30% of the world population – were in moderate to severe food insecurity in 2023. This means that they had to go without food for a whole day or longer at some point during the year. In 2022, more than 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.
Conflicts, climate fluctuations and extremes, as well as economic downturns and recessions, are among the causes of food insecurity and undernourishment.
A multifaceted approach is required
According to the FAO report, a multifaceted approach is needed to achieve the goal of ending hunger worldwide by 2030. This involves transforming and strengthening agricultural food systems, eliminating inequalities, and ensuring affordable and healthy food. "The significant investments required for healthy, secure, and sustainably produced food are far less than the costs that economies and societies bear when we do nothing," said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced a new initiative with the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which is set to officially launch in November at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The aim is to collect, exchange, and strengthen contributions from all over the world to combat hunger and poverty. German Development Minister Svenja Schulze is scheduled to attend a pre-event for the initiative on a Wednesday.
FAO report
- The FAO report, presented at the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, warned that the global community is likely to miss the goal of ending hunger by 2030.
- In Africa, the proportion of the population suffering from hunger increased by 20.4% in 2023, according to the FAO report.
- Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a new initiative with the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which is set to launch at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that in Asia, the proportion of the population suffering from hunger remained stable at 8.1% in 2023.
- The report highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach to end hunger worldwide, involving transforming and strengthening agricultural food systems and ensuring affordable and healthy food.
- The Coronavirus crisis, which began in 2019, led to an increase of 152 million people affected by hunger compared to the previous year, according to the United Nations.
