Hunger and food insecurity have escalated globally since 2015, driven by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change, and rising inequalities. By 2022, approximately 735 million people (or 9.2% of the global population) were experiencing chronic hunger, a significant increase from 2019. Additionally, about 2.4 billion people faced moderate to severe food insecurity, lacking adequate access to nutritious food—an increase of 391 million since 2019.

This growing crisis threatens sustainable development, as extreme hunger and malnutrition trap individuals in a cycle of poor health and reduced productivity, hindering their ability to improve their livelihoods. Currently, 2 billion people lack regular access to safe and sufficient food, with 148 million children stunted and 45 million under age 5 suffering from wasting. Addressing this crisis requires urgent, coordinated global action.

Source: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/