The global hunger rate is rising due to COVID epidemic outbreak in 2020. The deteriorating situation highlights how the epidemic has exacerbated food inequalities around the world.
In 2020, the world faced a worst hunger problem in last five years due to coronavirus outbreak and outlook is serious again this year. Around 155 million people around the world across 55 countries suffered from issues ranging from food crisis to famine. Rising to 20 million from 2019, with the economic shock overtaking extreme weather as the cause No. 2.
The deteriorating situation highlights how the epidemic has exacerbated food inequalities around the world, on top of extreme weather and political conflicts that are leading up to major staples. Consumers are also grappling with rising food costs as fierce sugar demand boosts global crop supply.
“COVID-19 is expanding fragrances,” said Dominique Burgeon, director of emergencies and resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. “Its restrictions, for example, on the movement of goods and people, have led to widespread loss of income, especially to those who rely on informal work in urban homes.”
According to the report, created with the help of agencies including the European Commission and the World Food Program of the United Nations, conflict and insecurity are the biggest causes of hunger, accounting for about two-thirds of those facing food crises. Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen and Afghanistan are some of the most affected countries.
The number of people experiencing starvation mainly from economic shocks, including those related to the epidemic that cut jobs and incomes, jumped nearly 70% to 40.5 million last year.
According to the report, supply chain disruptions also led to a spurt in food prices, while high inflation or weak currencies in import-dependent countries made food less expensive. Women have been hit particularly hard, as they are more vulnerable to losing jobs.
The report said that global hunger is expected to remain above the level of the pre-epidemic this year, affecting more than 142 million across 40 countries. The agencies said that conflict is a problem and economic hardship may intensify due to the coronavirus crisis.
Burgeon said, “We are extremely concerned”. He further added, “When we look at the early data we have from 2021, we see that this number has already increased.”
Source: Bloomberg
