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Global Hunger on rise again : UN report
Why in the news ?
- According to a United Nations report released recently,the number of hungry people in the world has risen for the first time in more than a decade.
Details
- According to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2018 report, conflict is now one of the main drivers of food insecurity in 18 countries.
- There are now approximately 38 million more undernourished people in the world, rising from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016.
- Violent conflicts also led to the forced displacement of a record high 68.5 million in 2017.
- Due to the increasing impact of extreme events related to a changing climate, economic losses attributed to disasters were estimated at over $300 billion in 2017.
- This is among the highest losses in recent years, owing to three major hurricanes affecting the United States of America and several countries across the Caribbean.
South Asia
- South Asia, which includes India, has seen child marriage rates plunge, with a girl’s risk of getting married in childhood dropping by 40% from 2000 to 2017.
- On the other hand, water stress levels for many countries in the region are above 70%, indicating fast approaching water scarcity.
- More than 9 out of 10 people living in urban areas around the world are breathing polluted air, with southern Asia scoring the worst in this area.
- While electricity and sanitation deficits in south Asia are still poor, the report noted efforts are being made to close the gap.
Words of UN secretary General
- With just 12 years left to the 2030 deadline, we must inject a sense of urgency.
- Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires immediate and accelerated actions by countries along with collaborative partnerships among governments and stakeholders at all levels.
- This ambitious agenda necessitates profound change that goes beyond business as usual.
Source
The Hindu.