UN: World Hunger Was Dramatically Worse in Pandemic Year

THE United Nations on Monday lamented what it called a “dramatic worsening” of world hunger last year, saying much of that is likely connected to the pandemic.

A report issued jointly by five U.N. agencies said hunger outpaced population growth in 2020, with nearly 10% of all people estimated to be undernourished.

It said the sharpest rise in hunger came in Africa, where 21% of the people are estimated to be undernourished.

Children paid a high price, with 149 million of those younger than five estimated be have stunted growth since they are too short for their age. More than 45 million children are too thin for their height.

“A full 3 billion adults and children remain locked out of healthy diets, largely due to excessive costs,″ the U.N. agencies said.

“In many parts of the world, the pandemic has triggered brutal recessions and jeopardized access to food,″ the United