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Updated July 9th, 2021 at 14:12 IST

UN says global hunger shot up by 40% as military expenditure increased sixfold in 2020

A record of 270 million would face an acute shortage of food as the food prices are inflated up to 40 percent, said a UN World Food Programme (WFP) report.

Reported by: Ajeet Kumar
UN
Image Credit: AP | Image:self
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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), on Friday, noted that a record of 270 million would face an acute shortage of food as the food prices are inflated up to 40 per cent. The UN report also asserted that around 690 million people or 9 per cent of the world's population go to bed hungry each night. While speaking over the report of global hunger, the World Food Programme chief Economist Arif Husain said, "High food prices are hunger's new best friend."

'CCC' factor- responsible for global hunger: UN

Quoting the three possible reasons for a steep increase in the figures of global hunger, the WEP Chief said that existing pressures from conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic leads a major chunk of the world population to "sleep without taking a meal". "The world has been witnessing the combination of the deadly trio of 'CCC'- conflict, climate and COVID-19. Now, food prices have joined the deadly trio, making the situation even worse," added Economist Arif Husain on the consequences of the soaring food prices.

Edible oil prices soar by 440% in Syria

The WEP Chief economist noted that amid economic turmoil, the average price of wheat flour has risen to 219 per cent in Lebanon, whereas, devastated Syria has witnessed a steep rise of 440 per cent in cooking oil prices. U.N food agency, which measures a basket of food prices, noted that the world food prices were up 33.9 per cent in June this year at the international level.

Oxfam report says 11 people die of hunger per minute

Oxfam-- a confederation of 20 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty-- says at least 11 people die of hunger per minute. It asserted that the number facing famine-like conditions around the globe has increased six times over the last year. In a report titled "The Hunger Virus Multiplies," Oxfam said that the death toll from famine outpaces that of COVID-19, which kills around seven people per minute.

The humanitarian group also said that 155 million people around the world now live at crisis levels of food insecurity or worse — some 20 million more than last year. Around two-thirds of them face hunger because their country is in military conflict.

Military spending increased six times what the UN needs to stop hunger

The report listed a number of countries as "the worst hunger hot spots" including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen — all embroiled in conflict. Surprisingly, despite the pandemic, which has hit almost all parts of the world severely, Oxfam said that global military spending increased by $51 billion during the pandemic — an amount that exceeds by at least six times what the U.N. needs to stop hunger.

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Published July 9th, 2021 at 14:12 IST

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