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According to a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), almost one billion people are suffering from hunger across the globe - among them are some 150 million children, under five years old, who suffer growth problems.
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"The alarming signs of increasing food insecurity and the high levels of different forms of malnutrition are a clear warning that there is a lot of work to be done," the FAO document said.
The children, the report explained, are mainly from the continents of Africa and Asia - where 39 and 55 percent are affected, respectively. During a registration process, the FAO found that the children were below average size for their age. The minors have developed health issues as a result of malnutrition, which has shown no notable improvement over 2012’s 165 million statistics.
One in 10 Asian children, under five years old, suffer from acute malnutrition, while in Latin America and the Caribbean the statistic is one in 100.
FAO’s 2017 figures estimate that the overall number of people affected by food insecurity to be 821 million.
"The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2018,” detailed that at least one in nine people suffer from malnutrition, Tuesday’s release disclosed, citing increases in the past three years.
In contrast, approximately one in eight adults suffers from obesity, globally. FAO revealed that this condition has grown significantly in North America, with Africa and Asia recording increases but to a lesser extent.
The results of the FAO’s report is indicative of new challenges for SOFI 2018 (The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World) moving towards the 2030 ‘Zero Hunger’ goal.
On Monday, Gabriel Rugalema, the FAO’s representative in Kenya, lauded China’s pronouncement to implement new initiatives to help food security and agricultural growth in African countries, Xinhua reported.
The UN official’s remarks coincided with the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which he recognized for supporting food security across the African continent.
"Through China's support in developing roads and railway lines, unreachable parts of the continent where initially people took two days to reach have become reachable within 10 hours of traveling," Rugalema stated.
Modernizing agricultural is one of China’s pledge for supporting Africa’s 2030 goal for achieving general food security.
"China's cooperation with Africa has offered farmers an opportunity for selling their crops and livestock in time hence making profit," the FAO rep added, referencing a process which, directly or indirectly, affects food security.
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