Skip to content

Almost 10% of all people went hungry in 2020

World hunger "shot up" during the pandemic, leaving nearly 1-in-10 people undernourished mostly in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Recipients of food aid in Guatemala during the pandemic
Recipients of food aid in Guatemala during the pandemic (AN/David Amsler)

GENEVA (AN) — World hunger "shot up" during the coronavirus pandemic leaving nearly 1-in-10 people undernourished mostly in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, five U.N. agencies reported on Monday.

Hunger afflicted 9.9% of the world's 7.8 billion population in 2020, up from 8.4% a year earlier, with "much of it likely related to the fallout of COVID-19," according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, World Food Program and  World Health Organization.

This article is for paying subscribers only

Join now

Already have an account? Log in

Latest