ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER

WHAT WE'RE DOING TO HELP END GLOBAL HUNGER

Food is central to human well-being: it provides the body with nourishment, offers livelihoods that lift people out of poverty, and brings communities together. Although food is a basic human need, too many people are trapped in a cycle of hunger by forces beyond their immediate control, like poverty, disaster, conflict and inequality.

The World Health Organization considers this to be the single greatest threat to global health. Hunger is cyclical and generational: it inhibits people’s ability to work and learn to their fullest potential, which can curb their future and trap them and their families in more poverty and more hunger.

COMMON CAUSES OF HUNGER

World hunger is caused by so much more than a shortage of food. Even in places where food is plentiful or can be grown, challenges like disasters, conflict or poverty prevent people from accessing it.

People in poverty generally spend between 60 and 80 percent of their income on food, which can force them to prioritize feeding their families over meeting other basic needs or reaching long-term goals, like sending their children to school. If an emergency strikes, they may need to skip meals in order to cope financially and the cycle of hunger continues.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS HUNGER THE WORST?

Nearly all the world’s hungry 98 percent  live in developing regions. Over 500 million live in Asia and the Pacific, in countries like Afghanistan and Timor-Leste, while 243 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Food Security Information Network reports the worst food crises in 2017 were in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan, where famine was declared in two counties.

In 2018, the network expects conflict and insecurity to remain a primary driver of hunger, especially in countries including Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Libya and Yemen, which is right now the world’s most dire food crisis.

WORK HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING

We can only tackle world hunger effectively if we address what causes it in the first place. This means improving systems and behaviors that enable secure access, availability and use of food.

Agriculture: We connect farmers to the people and resources they need to increase production, feed their families and boost their incomes.

 

Sustainability: We help communities develop plans and skills to sustainably manage their resources to improve crop and livestock production.

 

Good Governance: We work with local governments and communities to develop just and inclusive policies that make it easier for people to access the resources they need to thrive.

 

Women’s Empowerment: We partner with women and girls to build agency, and work to foster a cultural environment that supports women’s independence and decision-making power to earn income and feed their families.

 

Health and Nutrition: We provide the resources, knowledge and skills needed to access and utilize clean water, employ hygienic practices and consume a diverse and nutritious diet.