One billion people, one seventh of the world’s population live in extreme hunger and poverty and exist on less than 80 pence a day.
Of the 25,000 people who die every day in hunger and poverty, 10 percent die as a result of famine or from the high profile emergency crises that we are sadly all too familiar with.
However, particularly whilst the focus of the world is on high profile crises, it is vital that we recognise that, even today, the 90 percent majority of deaths from hunger and poverty related illness are happening in other parts of the world, not as a result of famine, earthquake or flood, but because of the chronic persistent hunger that exists in the developing world, in particular, Africa, South Asia and Latin America.
Chronic, persistent hunger is not due merely to lack of food. It occurs when people lack opportunity to earn enough income, to be educated and gain skills, to meet basic health needs and have a voice in the decisions that affect their community.
World Hunger Day is about raising awareness of this situation. It is also about celebrating the achievements of millions of people who are already ending their own hunger and meeting their basic needs.
World Hunger Day seeks to inspire people in both the developed and developing worlds to show their solidarity and support to enable many more to end their own hunger and poverty and make the journey to self-reliance.
Additionally, we hope that World Hunger Day, will encourage even more organisations to work in partnership with each other and with the women, men and children in the developing world who seek to bring about a sustainable end to their own hunger and poverty.
The Hunger Project is delivering ground breaking results in full support of the Millennium Development Goals, mobilising rural communities at the grassroots level.
