A recent report carried out by IPSO on behalf of World Vision International, measured 16 countries across the globe on child poverty. More parents are sending their children to bed hungry, and resort to nutrient deficient food. The main causes of this deprivation are the rising costs of living, inflation and lack of government intervention.
Just over 20% of parents have said they have sent their children to bed hungry, and that’s just in the last 30 days. Furthermore, almost 40% of parents have been forced to feed their children food that lacks proper nutrients.
The report reveals, child hunger does not only affect lower income countries. Developed countries such as Canada, USA and Australia were among the findings.
Worsening situation
Perception from the lived experience of the global citizens who are struggling say the situation is worse compared to five years ago. Andrew Morley, World Vision International President & CEO, said:
“Hunger is a global problem, and isn’t limited to any one country or part of the globe. A life of plenty for every child is possible, yet every day more children go hungry. Parents are queuing for food everywhere, and are facing impossible choices.”
Furthermore, almost 40% of parents say their children are malnutritioned, due to inadequate nutrients in the food they consume. This was the case both in lower income counties and developed countries.
There is enough food
According to Global food losses and food waste report by Food and Agriculture organisation of the United Nations, 30% of global food is lost or wasted.
Andrew Morley believes there is enough food around, and food wastage is a major problem, he says, “We have enough, yet much of it is thrown away, while millions of children continue to endure the pain of hunger and malnutrition.”
According to findings from the food and agriculture organisation of the United Nations, 30% of food is lost or wasted.
UN Goals unmet and government accountability
According to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Eliminating Global Hunger, Goal 2 is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030. 37% of the countries that took part in the survey do not believe the ‘stopping hunger by 2030’ goal will be met.
“In 2015, global government leaders joined together to establish nutrition targets but failed to invest in them. Today, hundreds of millions of children suffer from curable diseases, are underweight, stunted, wasted, anaemic and overweight. As world crises push up hunger, the number of children facing malnutrition is also skyrocketing.”, continues Morley.
World Vision
World Vision is working in 100 countries to provide millions of hungry people with food or the means to buy food and other life-saving services in response to disasters, conflict and famines.
World Food Day World Vision is launching a new campaign to make children visible in global and national statistics around hunger and nutrition, drive real change in the places where children are receiving food support — emergency food assistance programmes, school meals and community health services — and lead global efforts to get more and better aid invested in ending child hunger and malnutrition.
To find out more, visit wvi.org/enough.
