Report: 282M Experienced Acute Hunger in 2023

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Facts

• According to the UN Global Report on Food Crises issued on Wednesday, acute hunger affected 282M people in 59 countries last year, which is 24M more than in 2022. The most severe decline in food insecurity was observed in Gaza and Sudan.¹
• 2023 marked the sixth year of increasing acute food insecurity, driven by conflict, extreme weather, and economic shocks. The report suggests a 'bleak' global outlook for this year.²
• The study was prepared by the Food Security Information Network, which includes UN agencies, the EU, governments, and nongovernmental organizations. In the preface, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote, 'In a world of plenty, children are starving to death.'³
• 12 nations experienced deteriorating conditions resulting in the rise of populations suffering from food insecurity. Prolonged food shortages in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen added to the problem.⁴
• The Network released its first report in 2016. Since then, the number of individuals lacking food security has increased from 108M to 282M.⁵
• The report also warned of worsening conditions in Haiti due to agricultural decline and political instability. It also cautioned that El Nino will continue to influence weather patterns in eastern and southern Africa.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Al Jazeera, ³Dw.Com, ⁴The Daily Star, ⁵RFI and ⁶Washington Post.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Al Jazeera. Conflict and climate change are currently the leading causes of famine. Ending hostilities is very important so humanitarian aid can be securely delivered to those in need. The world is spending historic amounts of money on weapons and military systems, yet only a fraction of that could be used to end world hunger. Therefore, more financing is required to meet the increasing demand for food aid.
• Narrative B, as provided by Fortune Europe. Nearly 300M people worldwide are starving. The issue is not that we aren't producing enough food — we are. There is enough food to go around, the difficulty lies in availability and/or pricing. The main issue is the high distribution costs resulting from issues like export restrictions, and people in affected areas simply don't make enough money to cover the high cost of food. The problem is political and economic, and we currently lack the resolve to eradicate starvation.

Predictions