Addressing Hunger
Hunger is a long-standing problem, and what concerns World Vision most is not the issue of hunger itself, but the children and families affected by it. For decades, we have been collaborating with communities and partners around the world, actively addressing and responding to hunger crises caused by factors such as climate change, conflict, the pandemic and poverty. Since 1984, we have been organising 30-Hour Famine, a major charity event in Hong Kong, which aims to encourage participants to learn about global hunger and poverty issues, before taking action to help children and communities in need. Our Local Programme, which was initiated in recent years, also focuses on improving nutrition among affected grass-roots children by providing nutrition education services in partnership with local partners.
Why is Hunger Aggravated?
In 2023, according to the World Food Programme, the global hunger and malnutrition crisis has now reached unprecedented levels, with over 345 million people in 79 countries facing high levels of food insecurity. This represents a staggering increase of 200 million people compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. How is it possible that more and more people are facing hunger?
In recent years, the multiplier effects of conflict, COVID-19 and climate change have imposed great challenges on food supply and aggravated food insecurity, creating even more problems for those already trapped in poverty. In the past few years, as prevention measures were imposed worldwide due to the pandemic, farmers, who are at the heart of global food supply, were forced to stay at home and had their income source cut off, leading to a severe impact on the global food supply chain. In fact, poverty and hunger have always been inter-related. Hunger traps people in the vicious cycle of poverty. When poor people do not have enough to eat, they do not have the energy to take part in production, improve their livelihoods and will therefore remain in poverty. As poor people do not have the resources to produce or buy food, their children are forced to starve, removing the opportunity to thrive and break out of the cycle of poverty.
Conflict remains the main reason for increased hunger. Some 70% of the world’s hungry population lives in regions affected by conflict and violence. Besides the loss of lives and livelihoods, wars and conflicts also destroy farmland and agricultural infrastructure, hence reducing or even disabling food production. The war that broke out in Ukraine has caused mass displacement, loss of livelihoods and an economic downturn, and has further aggravated food insecurity. As many countries across the world are dependent on wheat, sunflower oil, fertiliser, fuel and gas supplies from Russia and Ukraine, wars, sanctions, port closures, destruction of farmlands and infrastructure have caused disruption in production and supplies and have driven up food, energy and transport prices, leading to food shortages and increased costs of living that are hitting the most vulnerable groups extremely hard.
The effects of climate change, especially rising temperatures, frequent droughts, rainfall variability and unpredictability, and changes in carbon dioxide levels, have become significant contributors to food insecurity, leading to hunger and malnutrition. The extreme weather events brought by climate change are having a profound impact on crop production in many developing countries, limiting the ability of poor farmers to provide for their families. Food supply chains have also been disrupted, causing food prices to escalate and become unaffordable for a wider population, hence worsening the situation.
Child Hunger Needs to Be Addressed
In 2022, it is estimated that 148 million children under five around the world were affected by stunted growth, while 45 million were suffering from wasting. The stunted growth of children, whose height is below average for their age group as a result of an inadequate diet, is one of the primary indicators of malnutrition and could hamper their physical and intellectual development. Wasting is another primary indicator of malnutrition, which refers to children who, due to maternal malnutrition, poor feeding and care practices, become severely weak and too thin, weighing disproportionally low to their height. Children who suffer from wasting are especially vulnerable to regular or chronic diseases that can be life-threatening. In fact, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 40% of global child deaths were due to malnutrition and other related causes.
Children are often the most vulnerable in the face of hunger, as they are unable to find food or improve their own nutrition status by themselves. In particular, for those under the age of five, who are at a crucial development stage, hunger or malnutrition will negatively impact their body and mind, making it difficult for them to enjoy good health and concentrate on their learning. In order to afford food, some starving families may be forced to sell their belongings and even marry off a young daughter in exchange for a dowry, or withdrawing a child from school to work as child labour. These can leave permanent physical, mental and spiritual impacts on children, and it is vital that we recognise the need to respond and let the children be heard.
As mentioned above, the situation may look bleak, but we can work together to turn the tide. Last year, by pooling the donations raised worldwide,
World Vision was able to partner with WFP to reach 10.96 million people with food and cash assistance. We also provided supplementary feeding for over 684,000 children under five and 173,000 pregnant and lactating women. Moreover, over 90,000 children with wasting received treatment and 89% of them made a full recovery. Through our livelihood projects, such as the promotion of
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration, a low-cost reforestation technique, we support communities in recovering degraded land, overcoming hunger and other challenges brought by climate change.
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