The worldwide fight against hunger is not advancing, a “devastating admission of failure”

The Global Challenge of Hunger

It has been years since the world has been unable to push back hunger, with the latest report from United Nations agencies on food insecurity in the world confirming that hunger has remained at a very high level in 2023. This is affecting 9.1% of the global population, with no progress in the past two years. A total of 733.4 million people are chronically undernourished, which is 36% more than a decade ago, according to the latest report from FAO, WFP, IFAD, WHO, and Unicef.

The Stagnation of Efforts

The indicator of food insecurity, a broader and more qualitative concept than undernourishment, also shows that efforts are stagnating. Moderate and severe food insecurity affects 2.3 billion people worldwide, accounting for 28.9% of the global population. Similarly, 2.8 billion individuals, one-third of the global population, cannot afford the minimum for a healthy and nutritious diet.

Regional Variances

While food insecurity has not significantly changed in Asia, where the largest number of affected individuals reside, it is still increasing in Africa. However, for the second consecutive year, Latin America and the Caribbean have seen improvements in their indicators. The post-Covid-19 economic recovery has been uneven globally, with some economies, particularly in Africa, lagging behind in terms of restarting. Even though inflation has slowed down, it does not necessarily mean that households’ purchasing power has increased.