Giving Compass' Take:

• The United Nations Foundation lays out five reasons we should care about the state of the hunger crisis in the world and offers some alarming statistics intended to spur action. 

• How can UN agencies utilize partnerships in order to address world hunger? What can international aid organizations do to build more sustainable solutions? 

• Read about the app in Nigeria that reduces food waste and fights hunger. 

We live in a world in which one in nine people are undernourished. That’s about 11% of the world’s population or 795 million people.

Malnourishment can compromise immune systems, delay cognitive development, stunt growth, cause pregnancy complications, and so much more. The good news is we have solutions to help people around the world get the nourishment they need to survive and thrive.

Here are five reasons why you should care about this work:

  • Malnutrition is a leading cause of death for young children. The World Food Program (WFP) states that almost half (45%) of deaths of children under 5 are caused by malnutrition — that’s 3.1 million children per year who don’t live to celebrate their 5th birthday.
  • It prevents children from learning and harms future earning potential. According to the United Nations, 66 million primary-school aged children attend class hungry.
  • The first 1,000 days is vital to children’s futures. According to UNICEF, “Poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can lead to stunted growth, which is irreversible and associated with impaired cognitive ability and reduced school and work performance.”
  • It is possible to end world hunger. The United Nations estimates that we need an additional $267 billion per year on average to end world hunger. This number may sound overwhelming, but to put it in context, consumers spend about $270 billion annually on sportswear such as sneakers and yoga pants.
  • We are making progress against malnourishment. According to the Food and Agriculture of the UN (FAO), the prevalence of undernourishment in developing regions declined from 18.6% in 1990–92 to 10.9% in 2014–16.

The UN and its agencies are working to help end hunger and provide proper nourishment to all people, from promoting economic opportunities, to support small farmers, to providing emergency food aid.

Read the full article about why we should care about hunger by Niki Rubin at United Nations Foundation.