The rate of world hunger has increased for the first time in this century. A recent UN report found that 815 million of the world’s population were undernourished in 2016- 38 million people more than 2015. The report noted that the percentage of people living in hunger increased from 10.6 to 11% between 2015 and 2016
Many of the countries suffering from hunger have been affected by conflicts. Since 2010, Insurgency and conflicts between armed groups have increased by 125%, according to the UN report. In countries like Yemen, Nigeria, and Somalia, these prolonged conflicts have lead to famine.
This report is the first UN global assessment on food security and nutrition since the announcement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. One of the SDGs is to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. These results cast doubt on the possibility of reaching this goal.
“This has set off alarm bells we cannot afford to ignore,” said the authors of the report, who represent five U.N. agencies. “We will not end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 unless we address all the factors that undermine food security and nutrition. Securing peaceful and inclusive societies is a necessary condition to that end.”
The impact of drought and flooding in various regions has also contributed to the rise in world hunger. Climate change and its effects on the availability of land and water for farming could potentially lead to competition over productive land, which is a potential trigger for conflict.
According to the report, Africa has the highest levels of severe food insecurity, affecting 27.4% of the population – almost four times that of any other region.
Sources: The Guardian, CommonDreams