Frequently asked questions
What’s causing food insecurity?
CONFLICT
Globally, conflict is the biggest driver of hunger — it’s responsible for 65% of people facing food insecurity. Violence destroys livelihoods and forces families to flee their homes, leaving countless children facing hunger as they seek refuge.
ECONOMIC INSTABILITY
Inflation and economic shocks have impacted access to food for millions of people. Steep rises in food prices are creating immense strain on household budgets, with the poorest families hardest hit.
Countries across Africa are especially affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine supply around 40% of Africa’s wheat, but the war has halted exports, leaving countries like Somalia on the brink of famine.
[Read — What the war in Ukraine means for Africa]
COVID-19 also caused a sharp rise in poverty and inequality globally, with lockdowns devastating livelihoods. In many countries, pandemic restrictions meant a disruption to food supplies and a halt in school meal programs.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Increased natural disasters like hurricanes, cyclones, floods and droughts have destroyed countries’ crops and livestock. Right now in the Horn of Africa, the worst drought in 40 years is leaving parents without the resources to feed their families, and millions of children are facing severe malnutrition.
[Read — Photo story: Black tea for dinner]
How does the hunger crisis affect girls and women?
Women and girls account for 70% of the world’s hungry. When food is scarce, girls often eat less — and last. In some cultures, girls eat less and last even when there is food to eat. One girl from Somalia told Plan staff, “I cook, eat last and if there is not enough food, I don’t eat. I have to wait until the next meal if I am lucky.”
As families and communities come under strain with conflict and hunger, girls are more likely than boys to be taken out of school and forced into marriage. Being out of school and having to walk miles alone to collect food or water for their families also leaves girls at increased risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and unwanted pregnancy.
Hunger is particularly dangerous for adolescent girls and young women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, increasing their risk of pregnancy loss or death during childbirth. For their children, it can increase the risk of low birth weight and stunting, leading to an intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.
What’s happening in the countries where Plan is responding?
Plan is implementing an urgent response to the hunger crisis in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Somalia and South Sudan. Here’s why we’re there:
BURKINA FASO
Around 3.5 million people are food insecure, and 630,000 are on the brink of starvation. And, more than 4,200 schools are closed due to conflict and violence.
ETHIOPIA
More than 5 million people are in need of urgent food assistance, and more than 3 million children are at risk of malnutrition. At least 2.1 million livestock, whose milk is the main source of nutrition for children, have died due to drought.
HAITI
More than 4 million people — nearly half the entire population — are in need of food assistance. More than 1 million people are suffering from severe hunger and 22% of children are malnourished.
KENYA
Around 3.5 million people are facing severe hunger, with the country experiencing critical drought conditions. About 755,000 children under 5 are predicted to suffer from severe malnutrition throughout 2022.
MALI
Mali is facing the worst hunger crisis we’ve seen in 10 years. More than 1 million people need food assistance. And, the number of malnourished children this year is expected to increase 53% compared to 2021.
NIGER
About 44% of children are malnourished — around 1.6 million children under the age of 5 are suffering from “wasting,” the most visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition. More than 4 million people are expected to face food insecurity.
SOMALIA
Severe drought has affected more than 7 million people and displaced more than 900,000 from their homes. It’s predicted by the end of 2022 that 1.5 million children under 5 will be malnourished.
SOUTH SUDAN
At least 7.2 million people — about 60% of the population — are in need of food assistance. Without immediate assistance, more than 2 million people are at risk of starvation. Already, 1.4 million children are suffering from malnutrition.
How can you help end hunger?
We can’t afford to wait until more countries reach emergency levels of food insecurity. Children are already dying from hunger. The time to act is now — and luckily, there’s something you can do to help.
By donating to Plan’s response, you’ll be there for girls in countries where hunger is the most severe — Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Somalia and South Sudan — and support interventions like:
— Food and water kits for families.
— Children’s treatment for malnutrition.
— Health care for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
— School meal programs.
— Job opportunities for young mothers.
— Animal care for livestock and fertilizer for crops.
Help end hunger
