There are now 108 million people suffering from hunger and 800 million without basic food, says Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations (UN).
Auza was speaking during a UN Committee debate on “Agricultural Development, Food Security and Nutrition”. Quoting Pope Francis, he told the Committee the solution can be found in “practical solidarity to ensure the right of every person to be free of poverty and hunger”.
He also told the Committee it is clear but “severely disappointing” that, based on current trends, “the world is not on track to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030.”
Auza said a recent UN Secretary General’s report highlights the magnitude of the challenge:
- About 800 million people (one in nine of the world’s population) lack access to adequate amounts of basic food
- Over 150 million children continue to suffer from severe malnutrition
- People living in war and conflict areas are especially vulnerable
- Hunger in war and conflict areas has increased sharply in just one year: from 80 to 108 million
- At the “current pace of implementation, the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 2 will not be realized and its targets will not be achieved in many parts of the world”
- Large segments of the world’s population, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, will remain undernourished or malnourished by 2030
- Despite great progress in alleviating poverty in many regions of the world, hunger and malnutrition will continue to be major barriers to achieving sustainable development.
Source
- Zenit
- Image: JimmyJoe.com
