Hunger

The people affected by hunger globally often lack access to resources like land, credit and education, which causes or exacerbates food insecurity. Additionally, they are the groups most likely to be displaced by conflict or a loss of livelihood.

The people most often affected in the U.S. are victims of domestic violence, single mothers, children, low-income households, minority and rural communities, people with disabilities and college students.  

Food insecurity can result in malnutrition, a condition that occurs when a person’s diet lacks the nutrients needed for healthy growth and function. Not eating enough food (undernutrition) or consuming too much of the wrong kinds of food (overnutrition) can cause malnutrition. Common signs include weight loss, fatigue, stunted growth in children, and weakened immunity. Conversely, malnutrition caused by overnutrition can result in obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Malnutrition can affect people of all ages but is especially dangerous for young children, pregnant women and older adults. Addressing malnutrition requires access to nutritious food, education about proper nutrition and medical support. 

According to Vince Davis, senior director of disaster services for Feeding America, hunger occurs in the United States not because of a lack of money or food but because of systemic gaps that prevent resources from reaching the people who need them the most. Generations of structural inequity, racism, underinvestment and economic dislocation, housing instability, high health care costs and low-wage work are some reasons why people go hungry in the world’s richest country.

Globally, about 282 million people are in IPC Phase 3 or above. Armed conflicts displace communities, destroy infrastructure, and disrupt food production and distribution. Approximately 65% of the world’s hungry live in conflict-affected areas. Additionally, inadequate infrastructure and weak governance hinder food distribution and access. 

In the U.S. and abroad, extreme weather events like drought, floods, hurricanes, fire and other disasters can disrupt agricultural growing seasons. This can result in lower food production for local and global consumers. Lower crop yields can also make the lean seasons leaner, contributing to hunger.

Conflict, political, social and economic policies, chronic under-development, weak governance, or a lack of resources all create an environment favorable to famine. An event like a climate disaster may tip a region into famine because it compounds existing vulnerabilities.  

To help change policy that affects food insecure people, funders can support diverse coalitions of advocates, banks, health insurance companies and other groups that can collectively make a case to lawmakers about the societal benefits of fighting hunger. It’s also crucial to support resilient agricultural infrastructure so farmers can withstand climate shocks.