UN: 783m plagued by hunger

About 122 million more people faced hunger last year compared with pre-COVID-19 levels, as the world is still recovering from the pandemic and grappling with the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United Nations said in a report on Wednesday.

As many as 783 million people were in hunger last year, far above pre-pandemic levels, while the world remains "far off track" in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger, five UN agencies said in the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.

While hunger is no longer on the rise at the global level, it was still affecting about 9.2 percent of the world's population last year, compared with 7.9 percent in 2019, the UN said.

Last year, almost 30 percent of the global population did not have access to adequate food, about 391 million more than in 2019, the report said.

As for children, the report said they are continuing to suffer from malnutrition, with not only 148 million younger than 5 stunted but 45 million too thin for their height or "wasted", while 37 million youngsters were overweight.

Recovery from the pandemic has been uneven, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected nutritious food and healthy diets, Qu Dongyu, director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, said on Wednesday.

"This is the 'new normal' where climate change, conflict and economic instability are pushing those on the margins even further from safety. We cannot take a business-as-usual approach," Qu said.

FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said UN projections indicate that 600 million people will still be suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2030, far from the UN development goal of achieving "Zero Hunger" by that date.

"In a world of plenty, no one should go hungry," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. "And no one should suffer the cruelty of malnutrition. We need an intense and immediate global effort to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals."

Hunger has declined in certain regions such as Asia and Latin America, but it is on the rise in Western Asia, the Caribbean and Africa, where 1 in 5 people faced hunger.

Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the international community must prioritize food security by leveraging the FAO's role and supporting countries in finding effective solutions.

Maintaining 'redline'

The envoy called on the international community to support developing countries in expanding food production while maintaining the "redline" of arable land and enhancing resilience to climate change and natural disasters.

"Strengthening key infrastructure such as rural water conservancy, roads, electricity and internet connectivity is necessary to promote rural revitalization," he said. "Fostering the sustainable development of agriculture through scientific and technological innovation is vital."

That involves promoting green, low-carbon and digital transformation of the food system; expediting the transfer and application of biotechnology and digital technology; sharing knowledge; and improving agricultural production efficiency while safeguarding the environment, he said.

Dai emphasized the importance of establishing "a fairer agricultural trade order and constructing a safe, stable, open and inclusive production and supply chain".

"Developed countries should eliminate unreasonable agricultural subsidies, adopt responsible monetary policies and mitigate the impact of external factors like inflation and exchange rate fluctuations on food security in developing countries," he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.