Eating last and eating least: women suffering the most

Overall, 155 million people around the world are living in crisis levels of food insecurity or worse – that is 20 million more than last year. Around two out of every three of these people are going hungry primarily because their country is in war and conflict.

Women and girls are disproportionally affected. They face extraordinary dangers to secure food, and yet, too often eating last and eating least. Conflict and displacement have also forced women to abandon their jobs or miss planting seasons.

Sleeping on an empty stomach has become the norm”

In Yemen, nearly a decade of war has stripped people of their savings, leaving many with no resources to buy food. Blockades and conflict have caused spiralling food prices. Over 16 million people are expected to face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity this year. Women and children are the most impacted. Malnutrition has hit a record high, as over a million pregnant and lactating women, and 2.3 million children under 5 suffer acute malnutrition.
According to an Oxfam study, women-headed households were among the hardest hit by hunger, reporting a significant decline in their food consumption, and having to skip meals. To cope, some families have had to resort to early child marriage to sustain themselves.

A worsening climate crisis

The climate crisis was the third significant driver of global hunger this year. It continued to intensify for millions already battered by the effects of conflict and Covid-related poverty, increasing storms, floods, and droughts, destroying farms and agricultural produce. The past seven years have been the warmest years on record, with 2020 one of the hottest.

Imagine having to grow vegetables in temperatures approaching 50 degrees with recurrent droughts. This is no small task. In Burkina Faso, it is a matter of survival for the vast majority of the population who depend on agriculture for their food. READ further from the source