In reaction to FAO’s new “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023” report, stating that up to 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, and that 600 million persons will be chronically undernourished in 2030, Hanna Saarinen, Oxfam International Food Policy Lead said:
“It is unforgivable for governments to watch billions of people going hungry in a world of plenty, as they put the interests of mega rich agribusinesses and energy companies before those of the most vulnerable people and widen the inequality gap.
“Billionaires’ wealth has exploded in recent years on the back of the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine whilst over 3.1 billion people cannot afford an adequate diet. Food and energy companies more than doubled their profits in 2022.
“Meanwhile, the climate crisis is outpacing our humanitarian systems’ ability to respond. In Somalia, one of the countries least responsible for the climate crisis, a prolonged climate-induced drought has pushed one in three people to acute hunger.
“An entire generation of undernourished children in low-income countries is now suffering chronic illness, poor school performance and, eventually, a future of poor earnings and opportunities. In East Africa alone, over 8 million children under five – nearly the entire population of Switzerland – suffer acute malnutrition.
“Solutions to end world hunger exist but they require bold and united political action. Governments must support small-scale food producers, and promote especially the rights of women farmers, who are key in the fight against global hunger. They should also properly tax corporate windfall profits, cancel poor countries’ debt, and regulate market speculators from inflating food prices.
Notes to the Editors
- The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 report.
- According to the SOFI 2023 report, more than 3.1 billion people – or 42 percent of the world population – were unable to afford an adequate diet in 2021; and 2.4 billion people were moderately or severely food insecure in 2022 (29.6% of global population).
- Food and energy companies' profits data from Oxfam “Survival of the Richest” report (Jan 2023).
- In Somalia, 43.4% of the population was severely food insecure between 2020-2022, according to the SOFI report 2023.
- East Africa child malnutrition figures include Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Source: UNICEF May 2023; and UNICEF May 2023.
- In Somalia, the number of people facing acute hunger (IPC3+) has reached 6.5 million people, which is 38% of the total population of 16.8 million according the last Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2023).
For interviews, contact Lucy Brown on 0478 190 099 / [email protected]
