"It is unacceptable" 733 million people worldwide go hungry

733 million people worldwide go hungry

According to a study by Welthungerhilfe, virtually no progress is being made in the fight against hunger and food shortages.

The German-based organization announced in Berlin at the presentation of its new Global Hunger Index that 733 million people worldwide are still starving. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the regions with the highest hunger rates.

"It is unacceptable that the global community is not sufficiently fulfilling its obligation to end hunger," explained Marlehn Thieme, President of Welthungerhilfe. "We know that global crises have an immediate impact with serious consequences for the nutritional situation of families and deplete their ability to cope with new shocks."

Women and girls most affected

According to Welthungerhilfe, this year's report focuses on the connection between a lack of gender equality, food insecurity and the consequences of climate change. Women and girls are the most affected by hunger and suffer disproportionately from the consequences of climate change.

The report examines the food situation in 136 countries. According to the organization, crises such as armed conflicts, the consequences of climate change and high levels of debt overlap and reinforce each other. According to the report, hunger has increased in 22 countries since 2016, while progress has largely come to a standstill in 20 countries.

SDA