More than 800 million men, women and children around the world are chronically hungry,
according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
About 199 million children suffer from various stages of undernutrition, according to the FAO. Most of these children live in South Asia.
About 46 percent of undernourished people in Sub-Saharan Africa live on less than 300 kilocalories of food per day.
As we enter the 21st century with new technologies promising to improve our lives,
many people still live without basic necessities. A recent FAO report
stated that most people who are hungry live in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
But hunger is a problem even in industrialized countries like the United States.
"Hunger and chronic undernutrition diminish human life," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.
"The lack of physical or economic access to safe, nutritious and healthy food at
all times leads to negative consequences for peoples and nations."
What you can do
Visit click-and-give sites such as Stop the Hunger and The Hunger Site once a day.
With each click on the button, sponsors donate cups of staple foods to hunger relief programs.
To help the hungry in your community, track down local food banks and shelters. Visit the directories at
America's Second Harvest or
Homeless Shelters and Soup Kitchens to find
agencies that help the poor. Call to find out how to volunteer or donate money.
Organizations
The following organizations are fighting hunger in the United States and around the globe:
30 Hour Famine Youth movement fights hunger by raising awareness and money.