Since 1990, the percentage of malnourished children in the world has been cut in half. But the enormous progress we have made against hunger is at risk – conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are all contributing to rising global hunger rates.
In fact, the United Nations predicts that the number of people facing acute hunger could nearly double by the end of 2020. Researchers estimate that child mortality could rise for the first time in 60 years because of COVID-19 and its secondary impacts. Acute malnutrition alone could cause an additional 10,000 child deaths each month.
These dire predictions do not have to be our future — there is still time to take action to help the world’s most vulnerable communities cope, to prevent more families from falling into hunger, and to save lives.
As the world’s hunger specialist, Action Against Hunger is on the frontlines of the fight against hunger. Our teams, working in 46 countries, are treating and preventing malnutrition, supporting families’ livelihoods and food security, and preventing disease by increasing access to clean water, safe sanitation, and hygiene supplies – all while strengthening health systems, managing cases of COVID-19, and keeping staff and communities safe from the virus.
