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The coronavirus pandemic could push up to 132 million people into hunger by the end of 2020, according to a new report 

"As progress in fighting hunger stalls, the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of global food systems," 

"While it is too early to assess the full impact of the lockdowns and other containment measures, at least another 83 million people, and possibly as many as 132 million, may go hungry in 2020," the agency added. 

The finding was included in the latest version of 

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

, published annually by U.N. agencies, including the World Health Organization. 

The report said an economic recovery expected in 2021 would bring the number of undernourished people down — but it's not clear by how much, and the number will remain above pre-pandemic projections.

World hunger had been declining for years 

 the U.N. reported, but has shot up by nearly 60 million since then. It estimated that around 690 million people were undernourished in 2019.

Asia has the highest number of hungry individuals. The report estimates that 381 million people there were undernourished in 2019 — more than half of the world total. 

UNICEF also highlighted the high numbers of people without access to a healthy diet, saying that "the race to end malnutrition appears compromised." 


The report estimated that around 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet.


Social Issues

Health

COVID-19

Austin Horn

Author

The U.N. says it's too early to determine the full impact of coronavirus lockdowns and other measures. But it says the virus could cause between 83 million and 132 million people to go hungry.

U.N. report says pandemic could push up to 132 million people into hunger

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