The new FAO report, published in July this year, highlights that in 2020:
- almost one in three people (of 2.37 billion) did not have access to adequate and continuous nutrition;
- more than half of the undernourished people in the world are in Asia (418 million) and more than a third in Africa (282 million);
- food insecurity affected 11 women for every 10 men;
- More than 149 million children under five are stunted due to malnutrition.
Malnutrition has increased especially in countries in the throes of conflict, climate crisis or economic difficulties. Poverty is in fact one of the main causes of malnutrition, because it reduces the availability of adequate quantities of food for most of the most vulnerable populations.
According to the United Nations, the pandemic has aggravated world poverty by 8.1% and in 2021 there will be 163 million people in conditions of dire poverty, against 143 million in 2020.
Whether it is assisting young people, building schools or providing nutritional support, Salesian missionaries ensure that those in need have access to assistance programs and services.
