Due to multiple crises 122 million more people pushed into hunger, reveals UN report

ROME and NEW YORK and GENEVA, July 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 122 million more people are facing hunger in the world since 2019 due to the pandemic and repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today jointly by five United Nations specialized agencies.

If trends remain as they are, the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030 will not be reached, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warn. 

The 2023 edition of the report reveals that between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, an increase of 122 million people from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

IFAD President, Alvaro Lario: "A world without hunger is possible. What we are missing is the investments and political will to implement solutions at scale. We can eradicate hunger if we make it a global priority. Investments in small-scale farmers and in their adaptation to climate change, access to inputs and technologies, and access to finance to set up small agribusinesses can make a difference. Small-scale producers are part of the solution. Properly supported, they can produce more food, diversify production, and supply both urban and rural markets - feeding rural areas and cities nutritious and locally grown food."

While global hunger numbers have stalled between 2021 and 2022, there are many places in the world facing deepening food crises. Africa remains the worst-affected region with one in five people facing hunger on the continent, more than twice the global average.

The food security and nutrition situation remained grim in 2022, approximately 29.6 % of the global population, equivalent to 2.4 billion people, did not have constant access to food, as measured by the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity. Among them, around 900 million individuals faced severe food insecurity. Food insecurity affects more people living in rural areas. Moderate or severe food insecurity affected 33 % of adults living in rural areas and 26% in urban areas. And in 2021, more than 3.1 billion people in the world, or 42%, were unable to afford a healthy diet.

Media contact: Susan Beccio | [email protected] | +39 334-9533030

SOURCE International Fund for Agricultural Development