HUNGER
The world is not doing well in eliminating hunger and malnutrition. In 2021 as many as 828 million people were afflicted with hunger – up 6% from 2020. Moreover, women continue to be more affected by food insecurity than their male counterparts. In 2021 31.9% of women were food insecure compared to 27.6% of men.
According to estimates, 45 million children five and under suffered from wasting in 2019. Wasting occurs when a child is too thin because of weight loss because of insufficient food or illness. Wasting is, in fact, the deadliest type of malnutrition in children. It increases the risk of death significantly.
One hundred forty-nine million children under five had stunted growth because of a lack of nutrients. As a result, children are more likely to experience health problems, learning disabilities, and even death without proper nutrition.
CLIMATE, WEATHER & HUNGER
Since approximately 1970, extreme weather incidents have increased fivefold.
In 2020, nearly 30 million people were forced to move by extreme weather, making it the second-highest year for displacement due to disasters. Many of those affected were in South and Central America, where a prolonged drought known as “The Dry Corridor” has led to widespread crop failure and water shortages.
In El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, nearly 8 million people have been forced to leave their homes for food and water. As climate change continues to energize extreme weather events worldwide, the displacement problem is likely to worsen.
The Sahara Desert is a very hostile environment. Temperatures can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, with very little rainfall. As a result, the land is very dry and susceptible to land degradation. Rising temperatures have caused 90% of Lake Chad to dry up. This has had a devastating impact on the local population, who rely on the lake for water. Women have been forced to walk much further to get water for their families.
As the world gets hotter, hunger will become an increasingly pressing problem. According to a recent study, if the temperature increases by 2° C, 189 million more people will be forced into hunger. That number of hungry people increases to 1.8 billion if the temperature increases by 4° C.
Floods are devastating natural disasters that can have far-reaching consequences, especially for young children. Studies from Bangladesh found that floods can lead to increased rates of stunting and wasting among preschoolers. Floodwaters can contaminate food and water supplies, making it difficult for families to access safe and nutritious food. In addition, floods can damage infrastructure and make it challenging to properly care for young children.
Droughts, floods, and extreme weather are becoming more common, wreaking havoc on farms and food supplies worldwide.
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
The effects of climate change are not only compounding the problems of hunger and poverty, but they are also exacerbating social inequality. The world’s most vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of a problem they are ill-equipped to deal with and did not cause. To end hunger, we must address the underlying causes of climate change.
CREDIT
UN Report: Global hunger numbers rose to as many as 828 million in 2021 – World Health Organization.
UN Report: Global hunger numbers rose to as many as 828 million in 2021 (who.int)
14 Facts Linking Climate, Disasters & Hunger, UN World Food Program WFP,
Published May 13, 2021, Last Updated April 11, 2022
https://www.wfpusa.org/articles/14-facts-climate-disasters-hunger/