Low graphics   |   Mobile      Login   |   About us      
Thu, 17:26 28 Aug 2008 GMT17

 
Food and hunger

Last reviewed: 26-06-2008

850 MILLION GO HUNGRY WORLDWIDE


The shadows of girls pounding grain are cast on the mud wall of their hut in a village in Niger. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly
The shadows of girls pounding grain are cast on the mud wall of their hut in a village in Niger. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly
Enough food is produced globally to feed the planet but even so more than 850 million people go to bed hungry every night. Hunger is a leading cause of death, killing an estimated 10 million people every year - more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

  • A child dies of hunger every five seconds (WFP)
  • 4 million new chronically hungry people per year (WFP)
  • One in four children in developing countries is underweight (UNICEF)

    Most of the world's hungry are not short of food because of a one-off disaster or crop failure but because of chronic, long-term poverty that means they cannot afford the food that is readily available in their local markets.

    Additional stresses like food price rises, drought, flooding, war and disease can create local food shortages which, without government or aid agency intervention, can develop into food crises. However, even at the height of a famine, often only certain groups are affected within a particular region.

    While state or aid agency food handouts are seen as a short-term solution and a valuable tool to help, many aid experts say longer-term solutions are needed to address root problems.


    Unlike some other content on this website, the written content in this article may be republished or redistributed by any means free of charge. Any use of photographs and graphics on this website is expressly prohibited. You must check whether written content contained in other articles on this website may be republished or redistributed without the express permission of Reuters or the relevant third party provider.

    • Related articles

    Breaking stories
     Africa ZIMBABWE: Listening for the trucks that will bring the food

    Africa MALAWI: Cheer and concern over ban on private sale of maize

    AlertNet insight
     Africa U.N. seeks urgent cash for Ethiopia food aid

    Aid agency news feed
     ACT Alert: Flooding in Gambella Regional State

    Blogs
     Asia Women and climate change - a tale of two mothers

    Maps
     Africa MAP: South Sudan food security update, August 2008


    AlertNet for journalists

    AlertNet for journalists is a set of tools and services designed to make life easier for reporters, fact-checkers and editors when covering humanitarian emergencies.
    Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-25T063149Z_01_SEO104_RTRIDSP_2_KOREA-CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SEO104.htm
    Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-25T063053Z_01_SEO103_RTRIDSP_2_KOREA-CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SEO103.htm
    Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-25T062955Z_01_SEO102_RTRIDSP_2_KOREA-CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SEO102.htm
    Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-25T062859Z_01_SEO101_RTRIDSP_2_KOREA-CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SEO101.htm
    Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-18T151910Z_01_OSS14_RTRIDSP_2_GEORGIA-OSSETIA-MINISTRY_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/OSS14.htm

    Christians and human rights activists hold a protest against Beijing's policy toward North Korean defectors in Seoul August 25, 2008. The protesters congratulated the success of the Beijing Olympics and demanded ...


    More pictures | Galleries

    * Denotes mandatory entry      Rate this item *  
    • Currently 4/5 Stars.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5


    Name: *     Email: * 
    I am: *     


    Comments:

    Enter the code shown on on the left *




    URL: http://www.alertnet.org/db/topics/HUNGER.htm

    For our full disclaimer and copyright information please visit http://www.alertnet.org