A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has reported that 29 countries, primarily in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, have ’alarming‘ levels of hunger. The report’s release coincides with United Nations World Food Day, which was observed on 16 October. The theme for this year was ‘United against hunger’, recognising the efforts that have been made in the fight against hunger. The 1 Billion Hungry Project was also launched to draw attention to the observance. The project invites people to sign a petition at www.1billionhungry.org with the aim of putting pressure on governments to end hunger.
Hunger levels in 2009 reached one billion people, thought in part to be a repercussion of the global economic crisis and rising food costs. There have never been so many hungry people in the world, and as Food and Agriculture Organisation Director-General Jacques Diouf put it, that is a “tragic achievement in these modern days”. With the global economy recovering, figures for 2010 are slightly lower – estimated at approximately 925 million.
According to the report, one factor exacerbating hunger levels in South Asia, particularly child malnourishment, is the low educational, nutritional and social status of women. At Opportunity International Australia, 94% of the people we serve with microfinance loans are women. Through the support provided by our partners in the field, our clients are able to feed their families, educate their children and save for the future. If you would like to help and provide microfinance loans to families facing hunger, please click here.
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