World Hunger Day: Making Every Day a Day to Take Action

World Hunger Day falls on 16 October 2023 and is dedicated to highlighting the struggles people face when it comes to poverty and hunger.

While many of us take our food for granted, there are those that cannot afford to eat or do not have access to food and clean water.

The Importance of World Hunger Day

World Hunger Day is important to observe as it brings awareness to the issue of poverty and world hunger. In terms of global poverty, about 719 million people are living in severe poverty, with less than $2.15 a day, according to Worldvision.

This equates to 9.2 % of the world’s population, and most of these people in poverty are children, youths, and women. The most severe areas of high poverty fall in sub-Saharan Africa.

Orphans and Widows

As we know, orphans and widows are some of the most vulnerable people in the world, often with little access to food, clean water, safe housing, and other essentials like medical care.
This is why many organisations and food charities focus on supporting them, including Orphans in Need.

Orphans in Need support widows and orphaned children by providing emergency food parcels and food packages through the Widow and Orphan Food Parcel Appeal.

Just £35 can provide a food parcel big enough to feed a widowed family of five for a whole month. The parcels consist of essential foods such as rice, oil, salt, sugar lentils, wheat flour, and of course, clean water.

These parcels can make a huge difference to families who have no access to clean water and food, and you can help provide them with some ease through their struggle by donating towards the appeal.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘The one who cares for an orphan and myself will be together in Paradise like this’, and he held his two fingers together to illustrate. [Bukhari]

World Hunger and Poverty in the UK

Often, we see this issue of world hunger as a problem happening in other countries, far away from us; however, it is important to note that many suffer from poverty in the UK too.

According to jrf.org.uk, in 2020/2021, 13.4 million people were living in poverty. That’s one in five of the UK population.

13.4 million people, including children and pensioners, suffer from poverty. Let that sink in. Compared with a total population of around 60-70 million in the UK, that shows the extent to which food hunger affects people, even in our ‘well-off’ country.

With the cost-of-living crisis in 2022/2023, this statistic is expected to soar, with many more people struggling to pay bills for food, energy, and rent.

How to Help Fight World Hunger

There are many ways in which you can help to fight world hunger and, in turn, eradicate it. Here are some ways to do so:

• Donate to charity – by donating to Orphans in Need, you can provide key and essential provisions to those most in need around the world, including widowed families.
• Fundraise – you could have a bake sale, auction, or another charity event to raise money to put towards helping those in need and feeding the hungry.
• Community fundraising – you could fundraise to help those in the local community who need some extra cash for groceries, rent and electricity.
• Raise awareness – by educating others about this issue, you can encourage others to donate towards helping families living below the poverty line.
• Be grateful and appreciate your food and clean water – many people do not have these readily available.
• Offer to cook for your neighbour – if you know your neighbours are struggling with poverty and hunger, you could offer to cook for them or just send them some food that you make for your own family. Food sharing will help with food hunger!
• Teach your children about the issue of world food hunger and the impacts it has on other children’s lives – this can encourage them to help in the future.
• Reduce food waste – try to eat leftovers and not throw them away.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one-third of food, one-third for drink and one-third for air. ‘”

Donate Today

You can feed the hungry by donating to a food charity to provide food packs. Many charities do these, and it is having profound impacts on the world.

In 2022, Orphans in Need provided more than 12 million meals to those in need, and this can be beaten this year through your support and generous donations.