CURRENT REPORT BLOG
In a stark revelation, Save the Children, a prominent global child rights organisation, has shed light on a distressing reality – at least 17.6 million children worldwide are projected to be born into hunger in 2023. This concerning data was brought to the forefront on Monday, coinciding with this year’s World Children’s Day. The organisation’s research, rooted in the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and UN estimates on birth rates, has exposed the multifaceted challenges contributing to the escalating global hunger crisis.
The Escalating Crisis
The alarming statistics indicate a 22% increase from a decade ago when approximately 14.4 million children faced the daunting challenge of hunger in 2013. Save the Children emphasises that economic instability, conflicts, and climate crises are the primary culprits behind this surge in childhood hunger globally. Africa and Asia, in particular, bear the brunt of this crisis, accounting for a staggering 95% of the world’s undernourished births in 2023.
Call to Action
Expressing deep concern, Callum Northcote, Head of Hunger and Nutrition at Save the Children UK, underscores the urgent need to protect the childhoods and futures of over 17 million newborns. The organisation stresses the devastating consequences of hunger on these children’s lives, including disrupted education, compromised health, and shattered dreams. Despite notable progress in the past, challenges such as economic instability, conflicts, and the worsening climate crisis have led to a significant decline in recent years.
A Global Crisis
This blog post serves as a rallying call for action, urging governments, organisations, and individuals worldwide to address the root causes of childhood hunger. It emphasises the importance of global collaboration to tackle economic instability, conflicts, and climate crises, with a collective goal of ensuring a brighter future for the millions of children at risk.
