Catastrophic global malnutrition crisis demands urgent action as World Vision joins Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty

• Around every 10 seconds, a child dies from malnutrition. That’s more than 3 million children every year.^[1]

• In 2024, nearly 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection, including 1 in 5 children living in or fleeing from conflict. ^[2]

• In 2023, around 733 million people in the world faced hunger.^[3]  

• One out of every 11 people in the world and one out of every five in Africa faced hunger in 2023. ^[4]

• The number of people facing acute hunger reached a historic high - 281.6 million in 59 countries in 2023. ^[5] 

Press Release, 13 November 2024 - Child hunger levels have reached a staggering high, unseen in generations, driven by conflict, climate change, and unaffordable food prices. Addressing this crisis remains far from the global priority, despite an estimated 35 million people standing on the brink of famine, which is why World Vision has become a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, set to launch at the upcoming G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“The world is not on track to meet SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 1 and 2 targets to eradicate poverty and hunger, while inequality is on the rise. We urgently must stop this trend,” said Andrew Morley, President and CEO of World Vision International.

Malnutrition has long been the hidden cause behind countless child deaths and debilitating conditions, leaving hundreds of millions underweight, stunted, wasted, anaemic, and even overweight due to poor nutrition. Financial limitations are a significant barrier to ending hunger and malnutrition, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where agricultural funding averages at just $8 per rural person. Fragmentation in funding also reduces effectiveness, with disjointed international donors, private, and local government initiatives often overlapping without tackling root causes. For instance, agricultural lending in low-income economies dropped sharply from $22 billion in 2017 to $2 billion in 2021, underscoring the need for sustained investment in this area.

“Children are saying ENOUGH! And so are we, as the devastating cycle of hunger and malnutrition continues to ravage children’s lives, robbing them of their God-given potential. This is destroying children’s futures in both humanitarian and development settings. We’re doing all we can, yet overall progress remains far too slow – and we must join forces now to meet the urgent 2030 SDG2 goal of ending hunger. We believe there is ENOUGH in this world for every child, no matter where they live, or the crises they face, to have the nourishing food they need to thrive,” added Morley. 

World Vision’s ENOUGH Campaign spans from 2023 to 2026 and pledges an estimated USD 3.4 billion in financial resources and advocates for stronger policies and systems to combat hunger and malnutrition. The child focussed organisation will also extend poverty graduation programs to the most vulnerable households, covering social protection, livelihoods training, financial inclusion, and social empowerment to build family resilience against food insecurity. This campaign is one of World Vision's key contributions to the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, dedicated to advancing international development efforts aligned with the fight against hunger and poverty and supporting SDGs 1 and 2. 

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty is an initiative aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty through evidence-based policies. It seeks to harness political drive, galvanise collective action, and mobilise resources to combat hunger and poverty worldwide. World Vision and other partners have also launched the Global Nutrition Dialogues, elevating the voices of those most affected by malnutrition, particularly vulnerable women and children, ensuring that they are heard in both global and local decision-making processes.  

World Vision’s latest report Breaking the Cycle: Malnutrition’s Toll on Women and Girls even highlights the huge impact malnutrition has on girls’ lives, in areas such as education, future earnings, and their likelihood of experiencing violence and stress. 

For more information or interviews, please contact: sam.bishop@worldvision.org.uk or phone +44 7889 631613.