Situation worsens in Asia and Africa
The Covid-19 pandemic has definitively and alarmingly undone previous steps undertaken to bring down global food security and nutrition as per a report published by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF.
In 2019, around 690 million people went hungry across the world, while in the midst of the pandemic the global food systems have been pushed to the limit.
The lockdowns imposed around the world are expected to render about 83 million people hungry in 2020. It has undone whatever progress was made with respect to the Sustainable Development Goal for zero hunger.
The most staggering numbers of people affected are from Asia, followed by Africa whose problem is exponentially increasing. By the end of 2020, over 100 million more people could be affected due the so far uncontained Covid-19 pandemic. As for the aspect of nutrition, billions are unable to afford healthy and nutritious food due to spiking costs and declining purchasing power.