Dying of hunger and malnutrition is unimaginable for most people. According to figures released by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 2010, there are still 925 million hungry people in the world. UNICEF latest statistics also show that 22,000 children under five die each day, of which at least a third is a result of malnutrition.
Access to food and adequate nutrition is a basic right for all human beings and lays the foundation for children to grow up healthy, reach their full potential, and enables them contribute to the development of their countries. However, today one in six people suffer from hunger, most of which live in Africa and Asia.
Food prices have increased since 2006 due to food, fuel and economic crises. In Africa, for example, many countries cannot produce sufficient food for domestic consumption and rely on food imports. As import costs increase, people spend more of their sparse incomes to buy food. Climate change effects have further compounded the problem by decreasing food production. During lean years, poor families have sought to buy cheaper, lower quality foods, subsequently leading to increased incidences of malnutrition, diseases, and hunger.
World Vision Taiwan supports food aid and feeding programs in countries severely impacted by the food crisis, including Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, North Sudan, South Sudan, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Zambia, Somalia, Haiti, East DR Congo, and North Korea. The programs also help build community assets through food-for-work activities.