https://arab.news/5xc8f
While global hunger has shown signs of gradual decline over the past three years, Africa stands as a painful exception to this trend. A newly released UN report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,” reveals that hunger worldwide has been decreasing for a third consecutive year — falling from 8.7 percent in 2022 to 8.2 percent in 2024. However, this progress has not only bypassed Africa but left the continent further behind. Africa continues to suffer a disturbing rise in food insecurity.
Across the African continent, the crisis has reached a critical threshold. In 2024, more than one in five people in Africa — over 307 million individuals — were chronically undernourished. This means millions of people are not getting enough food to maintain a healthy and active life, with children particularly vulnerable to stunted growth, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of death. The number is not merely a statistic; it reflects daily suffering, malnutrition, and the erosion of human dignity on a vast scale. Almost 1 billion Africans, roughly two-thirds of the continent’s population, cannot afford a healthy diet. This inability to access balanced, nutritious food is not only a humanitarian crisis, but also a serious threat to public health, economic development, and political stability. In many countries, the burden of food insecurity disproportionately affects women and children, especially in rural areas, where food access is often limited by geography, infrastructure, and entrenched inequality.
