Washington, D.C. – Today, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) released a report outlining the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted that the number of people facing extreme hunger could double unless swift action is taken. Currently, 135 million people globally face extreme hunger, what the WFP and others call “acute food insecurity.” That number could soar to 270 million by the end of 2020. Ambassador David Beasley, executive director of the WFP, this morning urged the United Nations Security Council to take action.
“Beasley confirmed what we have been warning – the COVID-19 health crisis is becoming a global hunger and humanitarian crisis,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “The U.S. must join with other countries around the world to respond to this global pandemic and its economic fall-out.
Bread for the World is urging Congress to expand health and humanitarian programs, strengthen the global food supply chain and social protection programs, and allow U.S. funded school feeding programs around the world to serve children while schools are closed.
As many as 370 million children are not receiving nutritious school meals, reducing their resistance to illness. “Better nutrition for mothers and children is more important than ever,” said Beckmann.
“Now is the time to heed God’s call to care for the ‘least among us’ (Matthew 25:40). The world has made dramatic progress against hunger in recent decades. But progress has stalled in recent years, and hunger is now surging all over the world,” added Beckmann. “Congress must address this crisis by increasing SNAP food assistance in the U.S. and international aid to help developing countries cope with COVID-19 and its economic consequences.”
Afghanistan would be considered likely to have high rates of hunger because at least two of the major causes of global hunger affect it—armed conflict and fragile governmental institutions.
Malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under 5. Every year, the world loses hundreds of thousands of young children and babies to hunger-related causes.
Bread for the World is calling on the Biden-Harris administration and Congress to build a better 1,000-Days infrastructure in the United States.
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith.” These words from Colossians 2:6 remind us of the faith that is active in love for our neighbors.
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond to changes in need, making it well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $200 million for global nutrition.
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.