An estimated 828 million people are already hungry, with the number of those facing acute food insecurity more than doubling to 345 million from 135 million since 2019. People in 49 countries are currently at risk of famine. World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley: “I think we will have a food availability problem [in 2023]”. Rising debt levels are extremely concerning for low-and-middle-income countries, according to World Bank economist David Laborde. Inflation is putting pressure on the poorest households and is likely to continue to make the situation worse for the most vulnerable, he said.
Rising food prices will affect nutrition as people modify their diets towards less nutritious foods in favour of cheaper calories. All signs point to 2023 looking even worse on an acute level, on a chronic level, and in terms of malnutrition. Mercy Corps is shifting its approach to focus on acute crisis situations, such as in Somalia. But they cannot lose sight of other parts of the world, like Guatemala and Nepal, which might not get as much attention.
