The United Nations released a report on Friday revealing a troubling increase in the number of people experiencing moderate to severe hunger worldwide. The report indicates that approximately 745 million individuals are now suffering from hunger, a significant rise from the figures reported in 2015. Furthermore, the world appears to be falling short of its ambitious goal set by the United Nations to eradicate hunger by the year 2030.
This report was issued by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ahead of an upcoming international summit on sustainable development scheduled to take place in New York next week.
The report underscores that substantial progress has not been observed in most food and agriculture-related goals, despite the impending deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030.
The report states, “The enduring consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with other crises such as climate change and armed conflicts, have had far-reaching effects. Progress made over the past two decades has been stalled and, in some cases, has begun to regress.”
Global food insecurity saw a sharp increase in 2020, with the pandemic disrupting food markets and leading to rising unemployment rates. However, hunger levels have not reverted to pre-pandemic levels.
The report points out that approximately 29.6% of the world’s population, equivalent to 2.4 billion people, experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2022, marking an increase from 1.75 billion in 2015.
Countries located in the global South are grappling with the highest rates of malnutrition, with hunger rates surging more significantly in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
The report emphasizes that there has been no substantial progress toward achieving the goal of halving food waste, which has remained at approximately 13% since 2016. It calls on countries to formulate policies aimed at reducing food loss.