New Figures on Hunger are Alarming
Conflicts and Climate Change are Leading Causes
On 2017-09-15 the United Nations has published the new report with updated figures on hunger in the world. In 2016, globally 38 million more people as in the previous year went hungry. Violent conflicts and natural disasters are the reasons why last year 815 million people worldwide were suffering from hunger. The already poor rural population is the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change and man-made conflicts. The extent of the present hunger crisis in Africa and Yemen, where still more than 20 million people are facing starvation, will only be reflected by the next year’s hunger figures.
“The new hunger figures are alarming. The international community is committed to eliminate hunger by 2030. The increased figure of hungry people in the world marks a turning point into the wrong direction. There is no time left for empty promises. The future Federal Government of Germany also has to put the fight against hunger on the very top of the priority list and has to push forward investment in agriculture and fair agricultural policy. There are still three of four hungry living in rural areas. At the same time, all efforts have to be made to find peaceful solutions to the military conflicts. Where governments are weak or corrupt or even lead wars against their own population, we must not let people starve to death,” demands Bärbel Dieckmann, President of Welthungerhilfe.
On October 12th, 2017, Welthungerhilfe will present the new Global Hunger Index, which examines the global causes of hunger and presents the losers and winners in the fight against hunger by a country comparison.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organisations in Germany; politically independent and non-denominational. It is fighting for ‘Zero Hunger by 2030’. Since its establishment, more than 8,500 overseas projects in 70 countries have been supported with 3.27 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe works on the basic principle of help for self-help: from rapid disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organisations.
