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More than half of the undernourished population in the region is concentrated in three countries: Venezuela, Mexico and Haiti, where nearly half of the citizens find themselves in this situation.
Hunger increased in Latin America in 2019 for the fifth consecutive year and affected 47.7 million people, 7.4% of the region’s population, where food insecurity and obesity also increased, which continue to be “challenges” priorities, “FAO warned on Wednesday 2 December.
After significantly reducing the number of people suffering from hunger between 2000 and 2014, Latin America has experienced a “worsening” and an “alarming” increase in hunger over the past five years, the Organization for the United States pointed out. food and agriculture of the United Nations. (FAO).
More than half of the population suffering from malnutrition in the region is concentrated in three countries: Venezuela, which has tripled in the past 5 years; Mexico, with an increase of 2.5 percentage points over the same period, and Haiti, where almost half of the citizens are in this situation.
“This report worries us because it confirms the data of the previous four years. Hunger affects 13 million more people than in 2014 and 30% of the population suffers from moderate or severe food insecurity”, Julio Berdegué, regional representative explained to Efe . of the institution.
The data correspond to the Panorama of food and nutrition security in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 report, prepared by FAO in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (OPS), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Unicef and the World Food Program (WFP).
The number of Latin Americans suffering from hunger in 2019 increased by 5.2 million compared to the figure recorded in 2018, which was 42.5 million, which implies a growth of 12.2% in twelve months.
Since 2014, the number of Latin Americans suffering from food insecurity has also increased, a situation that in 2019 suffered 191 million people, almost a third of the region, of which 57.7 hungry or without food for more than a day.
On malnutrition, the report praises progress against chronic malnutrition, which dropped from 23% in 1990 to 9% in 2019, a mark below the world average of 21.3%.
However, FAO has warned of an increase in overweight and obesity – the other side of malnutrition – conditions that affected 59.5% of adults in 2019 and which increased especially among children under 5 years of age. .
Malnutrition, the report stresses, mainly affects the most disadvantaged families in the rural world, in particular indigenous and Afro-descendant populations and people with lower incomes in urban areas.
“Overcoming the serious situation that exists in some areas with a high level of hunger requires that public policies focus on these places and on the most vulnerable populations who live there,” added Berdegué.
Pandemic, a 30-year setback
According to the FAO report, the pandemic, which already leaves over 13 million infected in Latin America, will worsen and aggravate the number of hunger and malnutrition in the region.
Without considering the repercussions of covid-19 but taking into account the trend of the last five years, the institution has estimated that by 2030, hunger will hit 67 million Latin Americans.
To this figure could be added another 28 million people, the report points out, corresponding to the group that will find itself in a situation of extreme poverty according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which would mean a joke. 30-year stop in the indicators.
“The pandemic is also expected to increase all forms of childhood malnutrition, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity,” added Anselm Hennis, director of the APHO’s Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health.
The economic crisis that the pandemic has generated will mean, according to ECLAC estimates, a recession of 9.1% in the region and an increase in poverty of 37.3%.
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