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Pandemic amplifies hunger worldwide

The United Nations says the COVID-19 pandemic likely caused a dramatic worsening of world hunger in 2020.

In its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, nearly a tenth of the global population, or more than 811 million people, were undernourished in 2020.  That estimate is up about one-and-a-half percent from the previous year and the first major increase after remaining nearly unchanged for the past five years.

More than half of hungry people live in Asia, while a third are in Africa.  About a third of the global population lacked access to adequate food year-round.

Authors of the report are calling for policies in conflict areas that protect access to food, increased climate-resilient food systems, efforts to lower food costs, along with other solutions to reduce hunger.