The world's hungriest countries
These countries need immediate life-saving help.
See Our Work in 50+ Countries
What Causes Hunger?
Florian Seriex
Action Against Hunger, Yemen
The Root Causes of Global Hunger
The planet produces enough food to feed everyone on earth. Yet more than 3 billion people can’t afford to eat a healthy diet.
Why?
Interconnected issues of poverty, conflict, climate change, gender discrimination, disasters, and weak government health systems all play a role in keeping nutritious food out of reach for millions of families around the world.
When children don’t have enough food, their brains and bodies suffer. It stops them from growing, learning, and working – from reaching their full potential. Without treatment, severe hunger can take children’s lives.
It doesn’t have to be this way: hunger is predictable, preventable, and treatable. With the right tools, we can save the lives of malnourished children and help them get the nutritious food they need to thrive. We can create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good – first, we must tackle its root causes.
Why Does Hunger Happen?
Inequity
Power determines who eats and who goes hungry, who eats and who dies.
Climate Change
The climate crisis is driving hunger and malnutrition around the world.
Conflict
Eighty-five percent of the world’s malnourished people live in conflict zones.
Disasters & Emergencies
Humanitarian emergencies disrupt and destroy livelihoods for millions of people.
Poverty
Extreme poverty, lack of sufficient food, and hunger are inextricably linked.
Dirty Water & Unsafe Sanitation
Without clean water, illnesses like diarrhea, parasites, and intestinal inflammation can prevent children from absorbing key nutrients and make them more susceptible to malnutrition.
How we fight hunger
We take decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger.
