The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) – which is part of the United Nations – says that this year’s World Food Day takes place in the context of a world where more people have been forced to flee their homes than at any time since World War II due to increased conflict and political instability.
The day is observed annually on October 16.
They say global hunger, which is on the rise for the first time in decades, poverty, and an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change are other important factors contributing to the migration challenge.
What are the main reasons for the recent increase in hunger?
New information from food commodity balances for many countries points to recent reductions in food availability and increases in food prices in regions affected by El Niño / La Niña-related phenomena – most notably in Eastern and Southern Africa and in South-Eastern Asia. Of particular concern, the number of conflicts has increased in the past decade, mainly in countries already facing high food insecurity and with much of the related violence affecting rural areas and having a negative impact on food production and availability.
Worsening food security conditions have also been observed in more peaceful settings, particularly where economic slowdowns have drained foreign exchange and fiscal revenues.
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How does conflict lead to more hunger and food insecurity?
Conflict can have devastating negative impacts on food consumption and health (morbidity and mortality patterns), including the four dimensions of food insecurity (availability, access, utilisation and stability), individual caring practices, health services and a healthy living environment. Moreover, there can be immediate effects and subsequent implications for human life and nutrition. Conflict impacts can be direct (such as forced population movements, the destruction of food stocks and productive assets and increased health complications including death) and/or indirect (for example, economic, social and institutional changes).
Indirect impacts can also include disruptions to food systems and markets, leading to increased food prices or decreased household purchasing power, or access to water and fuel for cooking can be reduced, which negatively affects food preparation, feeding practices and food allocation within the household.
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What effect is climate change having on world hunger? How does this relate to conflict?
Weather-related events – in part linked to climate change – have affected food availability in many countries and contributed to the rise in food insecurity. Problems of acute food insecurity and malnutrition tend to be magnified where natural hazards such as droughts and floods compound the consequences of conflicts.
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Can hunger trigger conflict?
While it is well established that conflict causes food insecurity and undernutrition, the reverse causal link is much less clear. Food insecurity and undernutrition as such have not been found to be the sole causes of conflict, but they may compound other grievances or political, social or economic factors that trigger conflict. A vicious circle can emerge when conflict leads to a worsening of the food security and nutrition situation, which in turn enhances the risk of deepening and prolonging the conflict.
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