Archive for category: Hunger

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Top 10 Facts About Hunger in South Sudan

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in South Sudan
South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. That same year, the country was admitted into the U.N. as the world’s youngest country.

Since then, the South Sudanese people have struggled in dire circumstances of famine and violence. The following top 10 facts about hunger in South Sudan described below delve into the issue of famine and violence in the country, but also reveal hope for its better and more promising future.

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in South Sudan

  1. More than 5.7 million people in South Sudan lack sufficient food to satisfy their basic needs. That number is predicted to rise to 6 million by the end of 2018. This food crisis is in part due to what the U.N. calls a man-made catastrophe, brought on by conflict and economic collapse.
  2. Famine has not yet been officially declared except for in two out of 10 counties of Unity State. At that time, 100,000 people were on the verge of starvation. While the state of famine officially ended as of February 2018, it is predicted that it will have to be declared again later this year due to a lack of consistent humanitarian access and funding.
  3. More than 1.3 million children under the age of 5 are at risk for acute malnutrition. The rainy season that begins in April exacerbates this problem as communities become geographically isolated and people from these areas are unable to reach medical services. Particular areas of concern are Leer, Mayendit, Longochuck and Renk where acute child malnutrition is labeled as extreme.
  4. The harvest of 2018 was the smallest recorded since South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. According to the World Food Program, the country is only producing a fraction of what it needs. Even in the capital city, relatively immune on the food crisis, a rise in food costs make it impossible for families to afford food and their options are disappearing as the South Sudanese currency crashes.
  5. Food production is crippled mainly because of the civil war in South Sudan. According to the U.N., the civil war began the largest refugee crisis in Africa since the Rwandan Genocide. More than 2 million people have fled the country which has crippled food production.
  6. About 80 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and rely on livestock and subsistence farming to survive. This lifestyle is caused by a severe lack of infrastructure. Few paved roads that do exist in the country are usually completely cut off during the rainy season.
  7. A meal that would cost a New Yorker $1.20 would cost someone in Juba, South Sudan equivalent of $321.70. This means that people need to spend 155 percent of their daily income for a plate of bean stew. This finding complements the 2017 World Food Program report that stated that the relative price of a meal in South Sudan was among the highest in the world.
  8. Aid agencies that have the goal of improving the situation on the ground face a relentlessly hostile operating environment. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reports that in April alone, there were 80 reports of aid workers being prevented from delivering their aid. The next month, the NRC was forced to suspend emergency food distribution in Unity State because of active fighting on the ground.
  9. This geographic region has been known for its rolling hills and greenery, once regarded as South Sudan’s breadbasket. However, even those who are capable of cultivating crops choose not to, as they fear they will get caught be government soldiers and be labeled as rebels. Despite first-hand witnesses, the army denies these allegations and claims that it would never steal the people’s food.
  10. The problems in the country have not been ignored by the international community. In 2017, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and their partners conducted their largest ever aid campaign to the country. FAO provided 5 million people with seeds and tool and also vaccinated more than 6.1 million livestock to keep the animals alive and healthy. UNICEF and its partners admitted 208,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in 2017. Finally, WFP is pre-positioning 140 metric tons of food in 50 areas across the country that are likely to be cut off during the rainy season.

The situation in South Sudan may have been officially labeled as a famine too late, however, the issue has not gone without international attention. Many aid agencies, although with a lot of struggles, remain committed to improving the situation for the South Sudanese people.

What these top 10 facts about hunger in South Sudan reveal is that despite the fighting and economic problems, the land remains fertile and ripe for when peace prevails and crops can once again be sewed.

– Georgie Giannopoulos
Photo: Flickr

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Argentina

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Argentina

Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world and the second-largest country in South America with a current population of almost 46 million people and the third-largest economy in Latin America. While Argentina has seen some progress in reducing its rates of hunger and malnourishment, the country still struggles with food insecurity among many children and families.

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Argentina

  1. Argentina has 334,000 farms, with 251,000, or approximately 75%, being owned by families. These family-owned farms supply roughly half of the locally consumed food and also play a significant role in the country’s exports, which totaled $10.8 billion in 2021.
  2. Argentina has significantly reduced hunger rates in recent years, achieving a Global Hunger Index score below five. However, in February 2024, 254% inflation saw thousands participating in protests demanding food aid for the poor. 
  3. Food insecurity in Argentina has become a reason for concern, with multiple causes, including inadequate strategic vision, unstable agricultural policies, drought and climate vulnerability, rising global prices, food production focus on exports and increasing poverty. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a 30% rise in the number of hungry people. 
  4. According to 2020 research, 16 million tons of food were lost or wasted annually in Argentina, while more than 11% of Argentinians were experiencing severe food insecurity. In 2019, the country implemented a National Food Donation Law and a National Plan for the Reduction of Food Loss and Waste. The National Plan addresses food processing technology, transportation and storage infrastructure and market mechanisms to assure timely distribution.
  5. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that Argentina’s agriculture and food sectors account for 54% of its land use and 54% of employment. The FAO also reports that the country contributes to 2.1% of global emissions and as such has prioritized various approaches related to the role of agriculture in addressing climate change.   
  6. An NGO fighting hunger in Argentina is The Huerta Nino Foundation, established in 1999. A nonprofit organization located in Buenos Aires, its mission was to reduce rural child hunger by building organic gardens in rural schools. The foundation, now working in both rural and urban areas, has reported 600 projects over 23 provinces, involving 50,000 children. Besides providing diversified foods, the gardens serve as a setting for discussing family eating habits with the community. 
  7. Yet another organization that contributes to child nutrition in Argentina is Love Volunteers. It is a volunteer organization that has benefitted almost 3,500 unprivileged children. Love Volunteers’ Nutrition Volunteering Program provides nutritious food products to underprivileged children and their families, educates families—especially single mothers and children under 13—on the importance of good nutrition, teaches children healthy habits and overall facilitates the development of underprivileged children. 
  8. The White Helmets Commission is funded in Argentina by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is part of a regional initiative to replace the welfare model with a partnership and capacity-building model. The local volunteer corps in Argentina is one of 16 participating countries. One of the initiative’s several aims is to strengthen the local volunteer agencies fighting to reduce hunger and poverty. The network has agreements with regional and international organizations including FAO, the World Food Program and PAHO. In 2004, among several other resolutions, the Organization of American States resolved to continue to support the program fund and also requested the Argentine White Helmets Committee to provide technical assistance to other member countries.
  9. Barrios de Pie is a social organization and movement established in 2002 that aims to decrease hunger in Argentina. Between 2020 and 2022, its promotion of community vegetable gardens resulted in 90 gardens outside Buenos Aires and more than an additional 900 across the rest of Argentina.  
  10. In May of 2024, a federal court ordered Argentina’s Human Capital Ministry to immediately release five tons of food designated for the poor that had been held up, awaiting an audit, citing “the vast number of Argentines ‘acutely suffering from food insecurity.’” 

These top 10 facts about hunger in Argentina represent the country’s consistent efforts in fighting and eliminating hunger. The many organizations operating in the country provide hope to find solutions and strategies to end the hunger epidemic in Argentina.

– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr
Updated: June 29, 2024

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Nepal

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Nepal
Nepal, located in the Himalayas and parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, boasts eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, ancient golden temples and a very rich history. However, this South Asian country also suffers from high rates of poverty, and as a consequence, hunger. Malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world. In the text below, the top 10 facts about hunger in Nepal are presented.

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Nepal

  1. One in four people in Nepal lives below the national poverty line that is just 50 cents per day. People that live under the poverty line do not have enough money to meet their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter.
  2. Those who live in mountainous, more rural areas are the most likely to suffer from poverty and hunger that affects the country.
  3. The 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI) found that 7.8 percent of Nepal’s population was undernourished. Nepal is ranked 72 out of 118 countries in the GHI, and the report rates Nepal’s hunger at 21.9, which falls into the category of serious. However, these numbers are lower than they have been in past years since 2000, GHI ranked Nepal’s hunger at 43.1.
  4. Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) which is Zero Hunger, is a very important goal for the country. The prevalence of malnutrition among children under the age of 5 was 9.7 percent in 2016.
  5. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), stunting is defined as “the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation.” Children can be viewed as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median. More than 35 percent of children under the age of 5 in Nepal are stunted, according to the research done in accordance with SDG. 
  6. Agriculture provides work to 68 percent of Nepal’s population and accounts for 34 percent of the country’s GDP, yet food is in low supply for Nepali citizens.
  7. Nepalese children who are stunted suffer from a variety of severe mental and health issues, especially in the first 1,000 days of their lives. These issues can reflect on their adult life, specifically on poor cognition, nutritional issues and even low wages.
  8. Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative have been very successful in its work in Nepal. Since 2011, there has been a 24 percent increase in the prevalence of children younger than the age of 2 receiving a minimum acceptable diet.
  9. The government and the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) introduced the Zero Hunger Challenge in 2014, with the goal of eradicating all hunger issues in Nepal by 2025.
  10. The Zero Hunger Challenge consists of five goals:
    • All food systems are sustainable: from production to consumption.
    • An end to rural poverty. Double small-scale producer incomes and productivity.
    • Adapt all food systems to eliminate loss or waste of food.
    • Access adequate food and healthy diets, for all people, all year round.
    • An end to malnutrition in all its forms.

Many experts that the above-mentioned goals of Zero Hunger Challenge are unlikely to be met by 2025.

These top 10 facts about hunger in Nepal presented in the text above illustrate that the country has made a lot of progress in its goals to eliminate hunger, but it still has a long way to go. The joint efforts of the government and nongovernmental organizations can certainly be the key to eradicating poverty and improving the economic situation in the country.

– Evann Orleck-Jetter
Photo: Flickr

TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT HUNGER IN MALAWI

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in MalawiMalawi, a country in Southeast Africa with a population of about 21 million, is facing a severe crisis. Nearly half of its people are affected by hunger and food insecurity, while extreme poverty impacts two out of three Malawians. 

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Malawi

  1. Food crisis– Malawi has been grappling with a food crisis in various forms for over a decade. Factors such as inflation, poverty, unemployment and natural disasters have significantly affected the country. It ranks among the top four countries in the world, with a very high percentage of the population living in extreme poverty. 
  2. Unreliable weather patterns- Rural Malawians rely on smallholder farming for their livelihoods. By repeatedly cultivating small pieces of land, they aim to harvest enough food to sustain themselves and their families. However, over the last two decades, the country has faced natural disasters such as droughts, which have had a detrimental impact on farming. In 2024, the worst El Nino in a century devastated maize crops. 40% of the population is affected and needs immediate assistance.  
  3. Unstable economy- Malawi’s economic conditions are quite challenging. High inflation rates have increased food prices, reaching 41% in May 2024. Since the economy heavily relies on agriculture, adverse developments in this sector have resulted in an unemployment rate of around 20%, pushing more people into poverty. 
  4. Reduced production of Malawi’s staple food, Maize- Malawi has experienced unexpected weather trends that have adversely impacted its staple food, maize. Recent droughts have led to a shortfall of 600,000 metric tons between maize production and consumption, resulting in an emergency in the country. In June 2024, the price of maize increased by 23% compared to the previous month, making it even less affordable for millions of people in Malawi. 
  5. Food import– Malawi is facing significant food security challenges and needs $447 million to import food, mainly maize, due to the severe effects of drought. Nearly half of the population is affected and struggles to access nutritious food. Although imports may temporarily relieve shortages, they could also drive up already high food prices, burdening households living in widespread poverty. 
  6. Winter Cropping –  Winter cropping allows farmers in Malawi to have two harvests per year, reducing the effects of climate change and weather and improving food security in the country. This approach enables small farmers to maintain a stable income and contributes to a reduction in food imports. 
  7. Stunting in children under 5- Malawi has successfully decreased the stunting rate in children under 5 from 42% to 37%. However, the country still faces challenges, as 62,000 children are at risk of suffering from “severe acute malnutrition,” commonly known as wasting. Additionally, 64% of children under 5 suffer from anemia and 23% of all child fatalities are attributed to undernutrition, highlighting the critical state of child health in Malawi.
  8. Children’s education– The percentage of children completing primary and secondary school is alarmingly low, with only 33% finishing primary school and 23% completing secondary school. Factors such as poverty, food insecurity, and undernourishment contribute to the issue. Statistics reveal that 25% of students who drop out come from the lowest wealth quintile. Additionally, studies conducted by the World Food Program (WFP) indicate that children who are stunted or malnourished are more likely to drop out of school.
  9. Zero Hunger in Schools – The WFP supports education in Malawi by providing daily meals to 900 primary and nursery schools, benefitting approximately 1 million children. The meals are freshly prepared and the ingredients are sourced from local smallholder farms to support the local farmers. The WFP plans to provide emergency assistance to around 440,000 children in the current situation and aims to treat acute malnutrition in about 90,000 children. 
  10. “Changing Lives“– The World Food Program (WFP) has launched a Rural Resilience Initiative that allows farmers to insure their crops against unexpected natural events through labor support. Additionally, the WFP provides training in climate-resilient agricultural techniques and works to ensure a continuous water supply for farmers. These efforts aim to reduce food insecurity and poverty in the country.

Final Comments

These facts show us the challenges faced by people in Malawi. However, in collaboration with the government, local and international organizations are working to promote sustainable farming practices and empower communities. These efforts offer hope for a future with reduced food insecurity in the country.

– Aquillina Ngowera and Maria Waleed
Photo: Flickr
Updated: November 11, 2024

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in the Congo

Hunger in the CongoTo achieve the goal of zero hunger in the Congo by 2030, the international community must understand the root causes and impact of hunger in the country. Only then can effective measures to address it be developed. 

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in the Congo

  1. One-third or 33% of the population is food insecure in the Republic of Congo and 47% live below the poverty line. 
  2. The main crops grown are cassava, banana and peanuts, which are insufficient to meet the population’s nutritional requirements. 
  3. Around 80% of the population’s food needs are met by imports, as almost 90% of the land is uncultivated. The direct result is that high food prices make food out of reach for most of the population, making them food insecure.
  4. The floods in 2023 affected at least 1.8 million people in the country, making them reliant on assistance. In addition to its population, the country is home to at least 65,000 refugees from neighboring countries who have also been affected by the floods and require assistance.
  5. Hunger has led to over 30% of the population being undernourished, particularly affecting children under the age of 5. Statistics indicate that stunting is prevalent in 21.2% of children and wasting in 8.2% of those under 5. 
  6. Hunger is detrimental for infants, who are more vulnerable to its effects. Malnutrition has been the fifth cause of premature death for over 10 years, with infant mortality at 31.3%. Additionally, only 5.6% of children aged between 6 months and two years receive a minimum acceptable diet (MAD).
  7. Anemia is the second most common cause of disability in the Congo and is directly caused by nutrition deficiencies. In 2016, 63.2% of children under 5 and 41% of women had anemia. Efforts have been made to address this issue, including providing supplements and micronutrient powders for children.
  8. Around 32% of people live in rural areas where the effects of hunger are more dramatic. 
  9. Despite facing significant challenges, there has been a notable improvement in certain key indicators. Specifically, there has been a slight reduction in the percentage of children experiencing severe malnourishment and stunting, which has led to a decrease in infant mortality from 40% to 31% over the last 10 years. 
  10. The World Food Programme is working towards its “Zero Hunger” goal in the Congo through food and voucher distribution, refugee aid, and nutrition programs. It distributes food and vouchers that refugees and displaced people can exchange for food. It provides nutritious foods for students, some from local farmers. It has also established “social safety nets” that require HIV/TB patients and pregnant women to make regular doctor visits and check-ups in return for food vouchers.

While these facts about hunger in Congo demonstrate the severity of the situation, progress has been and is still being made to improve it. Through the efforts of various organizations, such as the World Food Program, SDG 2 of zero hunger is achievable. 

– Massarath Fatima
Photo: Flickr
Updated: September 24, 2024

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Myanmar

Top 10 Facts about Hunger in Myanmar
Myanmar is the second largest country in Southeast Asia but has one of the least developed economies in the world. Food security in the country is threatened by natural disasters, isolationist policies, conflicts and ethnic violence. Millions of people are living below the poverty line. It is important to know the top 10 facts about hunger in Myanmar to help illustrate food insecurity conditions in the country.

What are the Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Myanmar?

  1. Approximately 25.6 percent of the 53 million people living in Myanmar (formerly Burma) is below the poverty line. According to the World Food Program U.S.A. (WFP), around 298,700 people don’t have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food and are in need of food assistance. Women, people with disabilities, the elderly and minorities are the most affected.
  2. The Human Development Index (HDI) measures basic human developments, taking into account variables such as life expectancy, years of schooling and income. According to the index, Myanmar ranks at 148 out of 189 countries. The majority of the country’s population, almost 70 percent, live in rural areas where poverty is two times as high and food insecurity conditions are much worse than urban areas. Statistics from the World Bank in 2015 show that 6.4 percent live with $1.90 a day.
  3. Children are more prone to illness and infections when their growth and development are hindered due to a poor diet. In Myanmar, 29.4 percent of children under five have stunted development. According to statistics from 2016, 18.9 percent of children are underweight.
  4. The infant mortality rate in Myanmar is high because of malnutrition: for every 1,000 live births, there are 35.8 deaths. According to 2012 statistics from UNICEF, the child mortality rate was 52 for children under five. For a child’s development, it is crucial to receive adequate nutrition in the first weeks and years of their life. Malnutrition and stunting in infants can reduce if mothers breastfeed their children for the recommended six months. Save the Children is an organization that aims to provide nutrition information and encourages mothers to breastfeed their babies. Their nutrition programme works to ensure that families have access to, and can afford, nutritious food.
  5. The average rate of enrollment in primary school is close to 88 percent. 75 percent of those children make it to fifth grade. However, about half of those students finish school; the net completion rate is 54 percent. Poor families in rural communities cannot afford to send their children to school or provide enough food for them. These children eventually discontinue their education and start working. The WFP aims to keep children in school by providing school lunches.
  6. Myanmar is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and is one of the top 10 countries most affected by climate risk. Extreme climatic conditions such as irregular or heavy rainfall threaten its agriculture which contributes 30 percent of the national GDP. As many as 85 percent of the households in Kayah, a state in eastern Myanmar, frequently experience food shortages due to environmental challenges.
  7. Myanmar heavily relies on agriculture and faces many challenges. The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program aims to fight poverty, malnutrition and hunger by implementing agricultural sustainable development programs. The Climate-Friendly Agribusiness Value Chain Sector Project in the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Myanmar plans to implement $27 million to decrease food insecurity for the rural poor. The projected impact of the project targets 100,000 people, in eight townships across the CDZ,  half of whom are women.
  8. Floods, food insecurity, armed conflicts and inter-community violence create waves of displacement. In fact, more than one million people in Myanmar have been displaced since June 2011. According to Action Against Hunger, there are around 863,000 people who need humanitarian aid in Myanmar, 241,000 of which are displaced. Being forced to flee their homes also means these families leave behind their livelihoods. Refugees and internally displaced people are left with no means of securing meals for themselves.
  9. Tuberculosis and HIV patients have higher nutritional needs during their treatment periods, and Myanmar has one of the highest number of patients. TB rates are among the highest in Asia, and Myanmar is among the 20 high TB burdened countries. It is also one of the 35 countries that has 90 percent of new HIV infections in the world. The WFP offers food assistance to 17,000 patients to ensure treatment adherence and success.
  10. Food security and malnutrition are accompanied by issues such as the lack of access to water and sanitation. According to an estimation from 2015 by the CIA World Factbook, 19.4 percent of the population didn’t have access to improved drinking water sources such as piped water, protected wells or springs. In 2017, Action Against Hunger’s nutrition and health programs reached 31,233 people. 9,344 people benefitted from water, sanitation and hygiene programs while 9,837 people utilized food security and livelihoods programs. The organization’s operation in the country started in 1994 and in 2017, it helped a total of 50,414 people.

These top 10 facts about poverty in Myanmar may paint a grim picture but the country has developed in many ways from 1990 to 2017. It reached the Millennium Development Goal of reducing hunger by half in 2015 and its HDI value has increased by 61.5 percent,i.e. from 0.358 to 0.578. Life expectancy has increased by 8 years and the mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling increased by 2.5 years and 3.9 years respectively.

Many organizations that work on alleviating poverty and ending hunger help thousands of people each year. However, the above top 10 facts about hunger in Myanmar show that there is still a lot of work to be done.

– Aleksandra Sirakova
Photo: Flickr

How to Fight Global Hunger with ShareTheMeal

ShareTheMeal App
This year, The Shorty Awards, an awards program that recognizes the best of social media, expanded their reach to include Shorty Social Good awards. The Shorty Social Good awards honor initiatives, projects or programs designed to combat lack of food or shelter. ShareTheMeal, a smartphone app, was among this year’s winners in the Mobile Campaign, Poverty & Hunger and nonprofit categories. The app shows us how to fight global hunger by reaching donors through smartphones and social media sharing.

Fighting Global Hunger with ShareTheMeal App

According to the Food Aid Foundation, approximately 795 million people around the world don’t have enough food to live a productive lifestyle. Beyond this, lack of proper nutrition is life-threatening for children worldwide.

Malnutrition is responsible for 45 percent of deaths for children under the age of five. Put more simply, around 3.1 million children every year die from poor nutrition. However, it costs as little as $0.50 to feed a child for an entire day. The ShareTheMeal app fights global hunger by focusing on microdonations and empowering users to donate from anywhere using their smartphones.

As an innovative part of the World Food Programme, ShareTheMeal mobilizes users to give through social media. Starting with donations of just $0.50, users can fund a child’s meals for an entire day. When someone donates, The United Nations’ World Food Program, in turn, supplies the meals to hungry children.

The food assistance provided varies according to the situation in the donor’s choice country. While children in more stable countries may receive school meals, children in high-risk situations may receive staple foods, designed to fortify basic nutrition. Donors may also opt to join The Table, a monthly giving club that receives regular updates and focused stories on global hunger.

Managers of the World Food Programme, Sebastian Stricker and Bernhard Kowatsch, developed the app in 2014. Though it began as an independent startup, it quickly earned the backing of the World Food Programme.

The founders wanted to expand the demographic of donors for programs fighting global hunger. They focused on social media and smartphone technology since they saw great potential for growth among millennial donors.

During its first trial run, the app earned nearly $850,000 to fight hunger in Lesotho. This successful trial run lead to a global launch focused on feeding Syrian refugee children in Jordan. With that initiative, ShareTheMeal fed 20,000 refugee children for a year.

Since then, the app has grown tremendously. Now, there are more than 1.1 million users worldwide and the app fights global hunger in various developing countries. According to ShareTheMeal’s data, nearly a third of their users are millennials, so the app has reached its target demographic.

Making Donations Easy and Personal

ShareTheMeal has innovated the World Food Programme’s donations, by making donations easy and personal. Each user can choose where to direct their donation by swiping through pictures of individual children in need of meals. These pictures give the donations a personal character, backed by information about the status of global hunger in that country.

The app also provides a constant tally of the total meals shared so far which allow donors to see the app’s progress. As of now, users have shared over 26 billion meals through the app and the number is constantly growing.

Beyond merely working through smartphones, the ShareTheMeal app fights global hunger via social media. Individuals can mobilize their friends and family through social media platforms, such as Facebook, by creating teams. These teams invite others to donate together and track their progress as a group.

Finally, the app also offers an innovative tool called Camera Giving. This feature capitalizes on food photos shared on Instagram and similar platforms. By taking a photo of their meal and donating through ShareTheMeal, users gain access to a #ShareTheMeal filter which they can use to publicize their food photo as well as their donation to ShareTheMeal on social media. With tags like “this picture fed a hungry child,” ShareTheMeal not only gains publicity through the Camera Giving feature but also it turns the food photo trend into a vehicle for positive change.

Moving Forward: How to Fight Global Hunger with Technology

In today’s technology-driven world, there are 20 times more people with smartphones than children suffering from hunger. Wondering how to fight global hunger with technology? The ShareTheMeal app fights global hunger by connecting lots of people to the problem.

Anyone around the world with a phone, iOS or Android, can download the app in nine different languages with donations payable in 27 different currencies. With the mere tap of a button, users are connected to global hunger from anywhere and at any moment. ShareTheMeal is turning social media into social good.

– Morgan Harden
Photo: Flickr

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Ethiopia

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in EthiopiaThe Horn of Africa continues to be a part of the world that suffers from food insecurity as a result of drought and conflict. Ethiopia, a core part of this region and its issues, has over 7.8 million people who are food insecure. This is attributed to the cumulative effect of worsening food production over the years and long-lasting regional conflicts that have exacerbated living conditions. The issue is particularly detrimental for the population dependent on subsistence farming and the nomadic community.

The top 10 facts about hunger in Ethiopia listed above cover relevant facts that cover the historical impact of food insecurity and the current challenges.

Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Ethiopia

  1. Thirty-four years ago the most catastrophic famine hit Ethiopia painting the nation in the image of poverty, drought and hunger in such a huge way that the government to this day works on reversing this perception. However, this proves difficult because three decades had passed from this moment, and the United Nations announced that 15 million people will need food aid in 2015.
  2. The general trend of increase in food insecurity is caused mainly by the weather. Low rainfalls during the past few years have led to disastrous harvests. Even at times when rain returns in some areas, the ramifications of the lack of rain is proving to be a prolonged crisis.
  3. Other elements that contribute to the issue of hunger are also mostly natural factors such as the decrease in land size and quality, animal and plant diseases and the destruction of vegetation and wild products.
  4. There are several actions being taken by governmental and nongovernmental entities to tackle the high level of food insecurity in Ethiopia, that have brought notable progress. These actions include food aid, an increase in productivity and in land cultivated, improvement of seeds and irrigation.
  5. The harsh effects of famine and drought resulting in prolonged periods of food insecurity, especially in the rural areas are directly related to the high level of poverty as more than half of the population lives on less than $1 a day. In addition, considering that 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas where birth rates are high and smallholder farming is the base of the economy, weather changes affect production immensely and the population in these areas is not able to cope with the situation.
  6. The political and economic instability that intricately creates regional conflicts is a huge factor for food insecurity. Although the droughts cause a decrease in food production, it is largely the human factors such as ineffective response to this occurrence that causes famine and starvation.
  7. The prolonged effects that don’t account for the immediate disaster of food insecurity are child malnutrition that causes Ethiopia a loss of 16.5 percent of GDP each year. This is reflected in the fact that 40 percent of children in Ethiopia suffer from stunting. This condition also accounts for 1.1 years less in school education that eventually reduces the workforce.
  8. Aid for the famine and other issues in the country, such as severe droughts in 2016 and 2017 and heavy rainfalls that caused the flooding in 2018, is continuous. Organizations such as the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Food for the Hungry, Relief Society of Tigray and World Vision and USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP) aim to support the food-insecure population through long-term development interventions.
  9. Despite the gravity of food insecurity challenges Ethiopia is making an effort to eradicate hunger by addressing the low smallholder farmer productivity through policies that allow big investments in agricultural research and development, especially in the aspects of making improved seeds and breeds available along with better farming practices. Moreover, there have been efforts to give prompt access to high-quality inputs such as effective fertilizers.   
  10. Zero Hunger is one of the United Nation’s Global Goals that is particularly critical for countries like Ethiopia who not only struggle with the challenges of climate change that affect food production but also with political groups working to expand the famine and only offer resettlement as a solution.

Africa has witnessed drastic changes as a result of its fast-growing economies and improved agricultural production that has cut the number of undernourished people in the continent by half. Therefore, despite the hurdles that Ethiopia has faced in the past in meeting food demands, meeting the Sustainable Development Goal, which means the end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2o3o, is not an unreachable goal.

However, it will require a lot of work in smallholder farmers coping with weather changes such as droughts and flooding augmented by assistance from governmental and nongovernmental entities to bring a long-term solution.

– Bilen Kassie

Photo: Flickr

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Top 10 Facts about Poverty in Sudan

Top 10 Facts about Poverty in Sudan

Located in Northeast Africa, Sudan is the third largest country of the African continent with a current population of more than 41 million people. The biggest problem country is facing is the poverty rate that is currently about 46.5 percent and continues to increase. This does not only affect men and women living in Sudan but children as well. In the text below, 10 facts about poverty in Sudan are presented.

Facts about Poverty in Sudan

  1. In 2018, about 7.1 million people in Sudan are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, while 5.5 million experience food insecurity and are in danger of starvation, according to the USAID. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) also reports that almost 50 percent of refugees in the country are experiencing food insecurity. Because of this, malnutrition rates continue to increase, growing not only above the emergency threshold, but even higher. Around 32 percent of Sudanese children are chronically malnourished.
  2. Sudan’s climate conditions such as soil erosion, desertification and recurrent droughts, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), are also causing low and variable productivity since agriculture produces 40 percent of GDP and employs over 70 percent of the labor force in rural areas of Sudan.
  3. USAID states that the consequences of the economic crisis are also fuel shortages, currency depreciation and high inflation levels. These issues have increased transportation costs and food prices, obstructing humanitarian operations in Sudan. The shortages could also increase not only food production costs but curb yields in upcoming harvest seasons.
  4. Almost 550,000 breastfeeding mothers and babies in 2010 were lacking needed additional nutritious foods. In 2015, maternal mortality rate involved 311 deaths per 100,000 live births while the mortality rate for children was 65.1 deaths per 1,000 live births.
  5. Sudan remains a high-indebted country that has accumulated sizeable external arrears. IFAD states that by the end of 2014, Sudan’s external debt was $43.6 billion in nominal terms, and around 85 percent of this amount was in arrears.
  6. In response to the rise of food insecurity and hunger in Sudan, USAID happens to be the largest donor of emergency food assistance to Sudan. The Office of Food for Peace (FFP) partners with WFP and UNICEF to provide emergency assistance to those in need. The FFP assistance currently supports more than 2.5 million food-insecure people in Sudan per year.
  7. According to the UNICEF, 3.2 million people were internally displaced, including almost 1.9 million children in 2016. UNICEF provided access to the drinking water supply through operation, maintenance and water chlorination services to about one million displaced persons and refugees.
  8. IFAD has prioritized Sudan for more than 20 years and their loans help increase agricultural production through environmental practices and distribution of improved seeds. Their activities include promoting land reform, harmonizing resources for nomads and farmers as well as promoting equitable distribution of resources. They also ensure representation of both women and youth in grass-roots organizations and guarantee access to microfinance for women. This is very important since 24.7 percent of women in Sudan are unemployed.
  9. WFP, thanks to the E.U. Humanitarian Aid, has been able to provide five months of nutritional support to 86,600 children under the age of five and to pregnant and nursing women in 2017.
  10. Global Partnership for Education (GPE) started the educational program that began in July 2013 and continues to improve the learning environment in Sudan, providing and distributing almost six million textbooks and strengthening the education system. Almost 1,000 additional conventional and community classrooms have been built through this program which benefits over 52,000 students. Over 3,400 communities and 4,800 students in the country also received school grants.

These top 10 facts about poverty in Sudan bring not only the awareness of the people’s lives but reflects how much change and development is being brought to the country. These issues can be solved and poverty rates can be improved.

Organizations, including the few listed in the text above, will continue to develop and come together, bringing not only hope to the people but also dedication, ensuring a better future for the people in the country.

– Charlene Frett
Photo: Flickr

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Crisis Zone: 10 Facts about Living Conditions in Venezuela

Top 10 Facts about Living Conditions in Venezuela
The situation in Venezuela, sparked by political turmoil and hyperinflation, has denigrated into a dire case of global poverty. Despite its former status as one of the richest countries in South America and its access to the largest oil rig in the world, Venezuela’s economy has sparked both a humanitarian crisis and a refugee crisis within South America. Here are the top 10 facts about living conditions in Venezuela:

Food Scarcity & Weight loss

According to a study by three universities in Venezuela, 74.3 percent of the population lost an average of 19 pounds of weight in 2015, and around 9.6 million Venezuelans ate two or fewer meals a day.

Due to past government subsidies of oil production, the people of Venezuela have historically relied heavily on imports of even basic necessities rather than domestic production.

Now that Venezuela’s borders have been closed and its currency devalued, imported resources within Venezuela have become increasingly scarce, making food prices rise significantly.

Population and Inflation

Approximately 81 percent of Venezuela’s 31.5 million people are now considered to be living in income poverty, while over 50 percent are estimated to be living in extreme poverty.

Additionally, the IMF predicts that inflation will reach 13,000 percent in the coming year, making it the biggest recession in the history of the Western Hemisphere — twice as large as the Great Depression.

Education Decline

For a country that once boasted free education for all students under Hugo Chavez’s socialist regime, the education structure in Venezuela is crumbling under the current economic crisis. Many schools in Venezuela have closed or are operating at limited capacity.

Such conditions are due to insufficient salaries for school teachers who are working for just over a dollar a month, as well as lack of school lunches as the government has run out of funds for the state-run program that provided children with free lunch. An increasing number of children have stopped going to school because, without food, they may faint in class.

Of 8 million school children, approximately 3 million students have stopped attending some or all classes. Education professionals within Venezuela fear for a future of uneducated and unskilled workers if this trend continues too long.

Lack of Hygiene

As most families have been scraping by just to put food on the table, those receiving the minimum wage face a choice every time they receive their paycheck: food or hygiene? According to Jonathan Marquez, a security guard and now also a taxi driver, he always picks food, adding water to the little bit of shampoo that he has left to make soap.

Additionally, one reporter from Venezuela spent 86 percent of the monthly minimum wage on eight rolls of toilet paper, after failing to find it in any stores for a whole week.

Businesses Cannot Operate

Number five of the top 10 facts about living conditions in Venezuela is that lack of resources for the individual means lack of resources for small businesses as well. The economic emergency in Venezuela has led to declining business within Venezuela, resulting in layoffs and even many business shut-downs.

Hairdressers only have running water two days a week and hair products are scarce to find; bakers have no flour to make bread; restaurant owners have no customers to cook for and very little pasta to cook.

Lack of Medicine

The medical profession is suffering as well. While doctors can still prescribe medicine, there is hardly any medicine to supply to their patients as the country endures an estimated 85 percent shortage of medicine, according to the Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela. Chronic diseases like kidney disease or diabetes are not being treated due to this limited supply of medicine, which leads to serious health risks.

A box of ten pills for high blood pressure can be more than a retiree’s monthly pension. Even highly preventable and curable diseases can now develop into life-threatening illnesses from the lack of antibiotics and proper treatment.

Water and Electricity Shortages

Drought from the Guri Dam has sparked a country-wide rationing of water and electricity. The hydroelectric plants in the reservoir contribute to 70 percent of the nation’s electricity supply.

While a standardized 4 hour outage was enacted daily, residents have noted that some days there is no electricity for up to 14 hours. In efforts to conserve electricity, Maduro has cut public sector work weeks to two days per week.

Concerning water rationing, faucets only run once or twice a week for most people; however, in harder-to-reach places like Margarita Island, water is only supplied once every 21 days.

Violence and Protests

Street protests and looting have become almost commonplace in Venezuela as people continue to lose faith in their government. In three months, 111 protests were recorded in Sucre — one of Venezuela’s 23 states — as reported by Indice, a human rights group monitoring the protests.

Reporters have noted 5 or 6 protests per week, all demanding basic necessities and fighting through tear gas and rubber bullets to get it.

The South American Refugee Crisis

To escape the turmoil within Venezuela, there has been a mass exodus into neighboring countries, particularly Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. The UNHCR estimates that nearly 5000 people escape from Venezuela each day, totaling 2.3 million migrants from Venezuela since 2015.

While South American border policies have eased the refugee migration process for many Venezuelan people, neighboring countries are not equipped with the facilities and resources to host refugees in the capacity at which they’re arriving.

Aid and Access

Government restrictions under President Maduro have rejected humanitarian aid by obstructing shipments, particularly targeting medicine, but that does not mean that there is nothing that can be done. Church groups and non-profit organizations like Sanando and the Cuatro Por Venezuela Foundation are doing their best to provide aid to the people of Venezuela.

Cuatro Por Venezuela began in 2016 when four Venezuelan women living in the U.S. decided to deliver relief to their country. They have since provided over 50,000 food servings per year and attended to over 17,000 medical patients. Neighboring countries, such as Colombia, have also been immensely helpful to Venezuelan refugees by providing food and shelter for hundreds of thousands of people.

While the U.S. is still pressing sanctions on President Maduro, Mike Pence has promised $48 million to support regional partners that are taking on the brunt of this crisis.

Giving Hand, Willing Heart

The humanitarian readiness to help is inspiring; however, the onus remains on Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan government to open its borders to aid and imports to ensure the safety and health of their people.

The U.S. government and the world is ready to help alleviate the situation in Venezuela. The hope is that these top 10 facts about living conditions in Venezuela will have significantly changed by next year.

– Sara Andresen
Photo: Flickr