World Food Day Funding gaps stall hunger fight, UN warns
Global hunger remains stubbornly high for a third straight year, the UN food agency said Wednesday, warning that widening funding shortfalls are crippling efforts to meet a 2030 zero-hunger goal.
Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, as conflict, climate shocks and economic woes eroded food access, the FAO said. The agency called for renewed donor investment, noting every 1% cut in food aid budgets pushes 400,000 people into emergency hunger levels.
The World Food Programme has already slashed rations in several crisis zones, including parts of the Sahel, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Separately, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in their World Food Day messages, urged urgent action to combat food insecurity and ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all citizens.