Conflict, economic instability, and extreme weather hinders efforts to reduce global hunger: UN

Efforts to reduce global hunger faced significant challenges in 2023, as conflicts, economic instability, and extreme weather events hampered progress, according to a recent UN report.

The report, published by several UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), indicated that around nine percent of the world's population, or approximately 733 million people, experienced hunger last year. This figure has remained consistent over the past three years, following a sharp increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The distribution of hunger, however, is not uniform.

In Africa, one in five people faces hunger, which is significantly higher than the global average of one in eleven. While Latin America and the Caribbean showed signs of progress in reducing undernourishment, Asia has seen little change, highlighting regional disparities in addressing hunger.

The broader goal of ensuring regular access to adequate food for everyone has also seen stagnation.

The report found that moderate or severe food insecurity affected 2.33 billion people in 2023, representing nearly 29 percent of the global population. This insecurity often forces individuals to skip meals or go without food for extended periods.

The UN agencies involved in the report, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, expressed concerns that the goal of eradicating hunger by 2030 is becoming increasingly unattainable. The report attributes this to the rising frequency and intensity of conflicts, climate change, and economic downturns, which exacerbate existing inequalities, make healthy diets unaffordable, and create unhealthy food environments.

A healthy diet was unaffordable for more than one-third of the world's population in 2022, with stark regional disparities. In low-income countries, over 71 percent of people could not afford a healthy diet, compared to just over six percent in high-income countries.

David Laborde, an economist at the FAO and one of the report's authors, emphasized that the global response to food insecurity has been inadequate. Despite ongoing wars and extreme weather events in 2023, there has been a lack of a coordinated international effort to provide the necessary funding and support to combat hunger.

The report, presented ahead of a G20 summit in Brazil, called for significant reforms in financing food security and nutrition. It highlighted the need for common definitions and a more cohesive approach among donors, international agencies, NGOs, and foundations, which currently operate in a fragmented system often characterized by short-term projects with limited impact.

The report also stressed that addressing food security and nutrition goes beyond emergency food distribution. It includes supporting small-scale farmers, improving access to energy in rural areas, and ensuring that donor priorities align with the actual needs of affected populations.

The report warned that the cost of inaction far outweighs the investment required to eradicate hunger. It called for immediate and coordinated global efforts to address this pressing issue.