Approximately 821 million people in 2017 suffered from hunger, according to new report

During a high-level briefing on food security at the UN, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Jose Graziano da Silva noted that the international community is failing to end hunger as illustrated by the crisis in Yemen.

As the rest of the world watches the unprecedented human tragedy, approximately 14 million people are at risk of severe food insecurity. Children are affected the most and have encountered the worst cases of extreme hunger.

He added:

“Yemen is living proof of an apocalyptical equation: conflicts and food security go hand in hand, and when there is an overlap of climate change and conflict, famine is already on the horizon.”

The UN briefing by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the FAO, and the World Food Programme discussed the implications of the increase in global hunger and the need to promote the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger.

The newly published report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018” found that over the past three years, there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide. Statistics show that nearly 821 million people suffered from hunger in 2017. Economic slowdowns, climate variability, and conflict in countries such as Yemen, are the primary factors that result in an increase.

The report also focuses on rural development and migration. It highlights that movements from developing to developed countries is less than migration between developing countries.

In Central America, fluctuation in weather patterns and prolonged droughts have resulted in crop failure and caused indigenous people to abandon their fields. Hunger was one of the factors behind the ‘migrant caravan’ moving toward the United States.

Jose Graziano da Silva also commented:

“The objective must be to make migration a choice, not a necessity, and to maximize the positive impacts while minimizing the negatives ones. In many situations it makes sense to facilitate migration and allow prospective migrants to take advantage of the opportunities that migration offers. This can help promote economic, social and human development.

The AIDF Africa Summit will return to Nairobi in February 2019.

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Photo Credit: World Food Programme