Food Insecurity
The world produces more than enough food to feed the global population, but food insecurity is preventing millions of families from accessing sufficient meals.
The world produces more than enough food to feed the global population, but food insecurity is preventing millions of families from accessing sufficient meals.
Food insecurity exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, or economic access to nutritious food. Food insecurity remains one of the most urgent crises of our time. The United Nations’ second Sustainable Development Goal, Zero Hunger, aims to end world hunger by 2030. The world is not on track to reach this goal — although we’ve made some progress, improvements have been uneven and insufficient. In villages, cities, farms, jungles, and deserts around the world, millions of families are unable to put food on the table — let alone purchase nutritious and healthy food.
Moderate food insecurity is defined as the level of severity of food insecurity, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. At this level, people are uncertain about their ability to obtain food and have been forced to reduce, at times during the year, the quality and/or quantity of food they consume due to lack of money or other resources. It means people face a lack of consistent access to food, which diminishes dietary quality, disrupts normal eating patterns, and can have negative consequences for nutrition, health and well-being.
Severe food insecurity is defined as the level of severity of food insecurity at which people have likely run out of food, experienced hunger and, at the most extreme, gone for days without eating, putting their health and well-being at grave risk, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale.
Food Insecurity in Africa is higher than any other continent. In 2023, the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in Africa (58%) was nearly double the global average. Nearly 20% of Africa’s population experiences hunger. Africa is home to four out of five of the countries with the largest numbers of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Despite some progress made in Latin America's food insecurity, there’s still work to be done. Nearly 30% of the population are moderately or severely food insecure. The migration crisis is fueling hunger for men, women, and child migrants, who trek hundreds of miles in search of safety. Escalating violence in Haiti has led to large-scale displacement, and nearly half of the population, or five million people, face crisis levels of acute food insecurity.
In the Middle East conflicts in Syria and Gaza are leading to some of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises. More than half of Syrian’s population faces acute food insecurity, as well as all of Gaza. In both regions, millions of people have no access to food or water, let alone humanitarian aid.We’re on the ground providing healthcare in some of the world’s most hard-to-reach places. In many areas, we’re the only ones that can. From crowded refugee camps to rural villages, we’re ensuring that food insecurity is eradicated for good.
Failing to address food insecurity will have long-term consequences for the world’s most vulnerable. From Gaza to Sudan, food insecurity can lead to malnutrition, chronic illnesses, and even death. On a wider scale, it can affect the well-being, economic stability, and infrastructure of an entire community.
We partner with governments and policymakers to advance effective, hunger-fighting solutions.
We tackle the root causes of hunger, helping people earn incomes and improve food security.
We treat deadly hunger and help families build long-term resiliency.
We bring clean water and safe sanitation to communities in need, helping to build healthier foundations.
We bring help and hope to communities devastated by natural disasters and conflicts.
Our pioneering research helps us – and partners – reach more children and stop hunger in its tracks.
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100% of your donation goes to help those in need.
We take decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger & homelessness.
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EMAIL: info@globalfaithforaction.org
