United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has revealed that 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, which is equivalent to one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
This is contained in the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) published, yesterday, by the UN body. 
The report, published by five specialised United Nations s agencies, shows that the world has been set back 15 years, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008 and 2009. It warned that the world was falling significantly short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030.
It observed that despite some progress in specific areas such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, an alarming number of people continued to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels had increased for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023, approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering the mid-range of 733 million.
FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that if current trends continued, about 582 million people would be chronically undernourished in 2030.
They observed that the projection closely resembles the levels seen in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, marking a concerning stagnation in progress.
The key findings in the report shows that in 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has not changed significantly since the sharp upturn in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report noted: “Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries. Major drivers like conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe.” The theme for this year’s report “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition’’, emphasizes that achieving SDG 2 Zero Hunger requires a multi-faceted approach, including transforming and strengthening agrifood systems, addressing inequalities, and ensuring affordable and accessible healthy diets for all.
