One in ten people on earth are undernourished. It’s getting worse.
Explore how the food crisis is impacting Africa
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In the wake of Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, food prices skyrocketed, setting off global alarm bells and helping push the FAO’s Food Price Index to its highest level ever, an increase of 34% from the year before.
But the stage was already set for crisis. COVID-related supply chain challenges, poor harvests, population growth, and climate change all played a role in creating food insecurity. Record droughts in North and East Africa, a heatwave in India and conflicts in Ethiopia, Yemen, and Somalia meant that Putin’s invasion just made things worse.
Millions of people still struggle to access food, with no clear end in sight.
Key Stats
- In 2022, there were 258 million people in urgent need of food assistance. If this population were a country, it would be the 5th largest in the world.
- Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, an additional +181.9 million people are experiencing hunger.
- Gender inequalities are widening. Before the pandemic, women were 6% more likely than men to experience hunger. During the height of the pandemic, it was 10%.
- Credible estimates put the global cost of ending hunger between US$39 billion and US$50 billion a year, less than half the US$110 billion spent on pet food last year.
What is hunger
Hunger is the most visible indicator of poverty. Every one of us needs food to stay alive and healthy. Families will almost always prioritise food over other expenses. So when they can’t afford to eat, you know they are in crisis.
When meals are skipped, the body begins to break down stored fat and protein. This affects energy and concentration levels, and leads to irritability, anger, and frustration. After a few days of no food, the body starts to turn fat into ketones for energy. When fat stores are depleted, the body breaks down protein in muscles. The eyes begin to sink in and glass over. The skin loosens and turns pale. When protein runs out, essential organs cease to function and the heart often stops.
It’s a painful and heartbreaking story repeated 25,000 times every day. Once every three seconds.