Event Details
The world entered 2023 in a hunger crisis. The World Food Programme estimated that the number of people facing acute food insecurity jumped from 282m at the end of 2021, to a record of 345m in 2022. As many as 50m people began 2023 on the brink of famine. With governments still fiscally burdened from the covid-19 pandemic, and still grappling with resilient but slow economic growth, this number could increase in the coming months.
As the wars in Gaza and Ukraine roll on, weak economic growth is weighing on demand. The food-price index of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, which measures the monthly change in international food prices for food commodities, has fallen gradually from its all time high in March 2022.
In conflict zones, such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, farming will be disrupted. Climate change means extreme weather events, like the floods in Pakistan or the drought in the Horn of Africa, are becoming more common. Elsewhere, including in rich countries and large food-producing nations, the problem is simply poverty. Many people will struggle to pay for the food they need.
Join us as we discuss the consequences of food security for the region.
- What are the risks to population health?
- Why are women worst affected?
- How are children affected in the first few years of their lives?
- What is the regional situation?
- How may we reduce the impact of food insecurity?
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