The Challenge

At least 400 million children suffer from hunger. Unfortunately, the problem is getting worse as the economic crisis and volatile food prices push more families into poverty. This year the number of chronically hungry people topped 1 billion for the first time in history.

While food prices have dropped from record highs in 2008, they remain historically high, and are expected to climb higher in the coming years. At the same time, extreme weather events are increasing and wiping out people's sources of food and income. Three fourths of the world's poor live in rural areas, and most of them are dependent on agriculture.

In East Africa right now, an estimated 20 million people will need food aid through the end of the year after several years of severe drought. In Guatemala this year, drought wiped out crops and is causing the kind of acute malnutrition people thought no longer occurred in the Americas. In Tajikistan, heavy rains, hail, drought, and locust invasions all contributed to the widespread loss of crops. In Bangladesh flooding and cyclones contribute to the prevalence of severe acute malnutrition among children.

When there is not enough nutritious food to eat, children suffer the most. Often, the effects aren't as immediately obvious as a small child's hunger pangs. Chronic malnutrition harms children's long-term development. They may never grow as tall, strong, or as intellectually developed as they might have, had they received the nutrients they need. And when parents are struggling to put food on the table, they often cut back on other expenses that can determine a child's future – like books and fees to send a daughter to school, or the cost of taking a sick son to a health clinic. 

Malnourished children already face increased risk of deadly disease. Every year three million children in low-income countries die from pneumonia, diarrhea and other causes because they suffer from malnutrition. 

Hunger is a widespread and growing problem, but there are solutions. A boost in hunger-fighting efforts could come from world leaders who — following years of reduced investments in agricultural development — have pledged to support a global food security initiative. A comprehensive strategy that incorporates attention to not only agriculture, but nutrition, emergency response, and safety nets can save the lives of millions of children — and help many millions more grow up healthy and strong. That, in turn, will provide a strong foundation for development in low-income countries. 

Fighting child hunger is an investment in a precious resource — the next generation.