The global response to the food crisis and subsequent higher rates of malnutrition is “weak,” says David Miliband, the president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and former foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, adding that the “time for excuses is over.”
Malnutrition refers to undernutrition as well as being overweight and obese. As the world is currently in the midst of a rising food crisis — an estimated 828 million people are facing hunger this year — more people are at risk of being undernourished and in danger of wasting or stunting. Children are especially at risk, and around 1 in 5 deaths among children under the age of 5 are attributed to severe wasting.
According to Action Against Hunger, between 2019 and 2022, the number of people who were undernourished increased by around 150 million, and in 2023 over 345 million people are expected to be food insecure, around half of which are children.