The State of Global Hunger: Understanding the Crisis

Global hunger is a growing issue around the world, affecting babies, children, teenagers, adults, and older people.

There are several reasons why people are faced with hunger, such as poverty and the cost-of-living crisis. Keep reading to learn about these in more detail.

The Causes of World Hunger

Poverty:

Countries that face extreme poverty face more food hunger. Poverty may mean for some that, they must cut out expensive foods, but for others, it means they cannot afford most foods at all. Not only is this upsetting and worrying for those faced with poverty, but it is also a risk to their physical health and development due to not getting the right vitamins and nutrients from a healthy diet.

Conflict:

Countries that are faced with conflict are at risk of food hunger. This is because supplies may be difficult to get into the country, such as food like fruit, vegetables, rice, and flour.

Cost-of-Living Crisis:

This has led many people into poverty, creating worry about affording food. For those already struggling with poverty, this is another issue on top of that. The cost-of-living crisis has and still is affecting many people in the UK, and it is important to acknowledge that hunger can be a problem in the West, too. Families such as low-income and single-parent families are most at risk of being affected by the crisis.

Inequality Between Genders:

Women and girls are most at risk of becoming malnourished. This is particularly the case for women in developing and poorer countries or anywhere facing famine and conflict.

Covid-19:

Covid-19 still has effects on the economy and the population. It meant that millions of people were unable to afford food, and even today, people are still trying to come back from this economic disaster.

Statistics

Statistics show that 4 in 10 people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet. This affects people’s physical development significantly.

According to Action Against Hunger:

• 49 million people around the world are at risk of severe hunger and famine.
• 1 in 10 people go to bed hungry every night worldwide.
• 3 billion people are unable to afford healthy and nutritious meals, which affects their health.

Action Against Hunger also shows that children are some of the worst affected by global food hunger:

• 45% of all deaths among children under five are linked to malnutrition.
• 73 million children living in extreme poverty attend school with an empty stomach.
• 150 million children do not get adequate nutrition due to missing meals and lack of health services.

Which Areas Are Most Affected by Global Hunger?

Some of the most affected countries are:

• Afghanistan
• Mali
• Nigeria
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
• Pakistan
• Syria
• Lebanon
• Malawi
• And many more.

What Does Islam Say About Feeding Others?

Giving charity and helping others in Islam is especially important and highly recommended. The same goes for feeding others: there are many benefits to doing so. Not only are you helping someone immensely, but you are investing in your afterlife, Insha’Allah.

Feeding others is a form of Sadaqah.

The following hadiths encourage feeding others:

• “Protect yourself from hellfire even by giving a piece of date as charity.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
• “The best of you are those who feed others.” (Ahmad)
• “The food of one person is enough for two, the food of two is enough for four, and the food of four is enough for eight.” (Sahih Muslim)
• “Free the captives, feed the hungry and pay a visit to the sick.” (Bukhari)
• “He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbour is hungry.” (Bukhari)
• “Whoever feeds a fasting person will earn the same reward as him without diminishing in any way the reward of the fasting person.”

How You Can Help – Donate

You can help those struggling with hunger by donating to Orphans in Need. You can donate online for ease, and it means that your donations go straight to helping people in need. Alhamdulillah!

At Orphans in Need, we have a Widow and Orphan Food Parcels Appeal.

Our food packages can feed an average of five people for just £35 a month. The food parcel contains essentials and non-perishable foods such as cooking oil, rice, lentils, salt, sugar, flour, clean water and more.

These food packs are provided to those in need in 13 different countries, including across Asia and Africa.

In 2022, we provided 12 million meals to feed the hungry and impoverished, and we hope to exceed this in the coming years with your support, Insha’Allah.

Please donate generously and help to fight global hunger. Your donations can have an enormous impact on individuals and communities, many of whom are praying for help in their struggles.

Be their support by donating today.

azak’Allah Khair. Thank you.