Hungry in Asia

The fight against hunger is being lost in Asia. The latest report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that around half a billion people go hungry in Asia. At a time when Asia seems to be asserting itself as a global player, the lives of its poorest residents have only gotten worse. This is especially true of the region’s largest cities, but it should be clear that the menace of rural poverty has barely been tackled. It is the areas that provide food to the rest of us that are often the most vulnerable in terms of food security. The FAO report reaches a damning conclusion: ‘progress has stagnated.’

The number of undernourished people has remained static in East and Southeast Asia, which does not map onto the progress made in the decade between 2005 and 2015. Almost 20 million more people experience severe food insecurity now as compared to last year. Surveys reveal that almost one-third of children in a city like Bangkok are receiving a ‘minimally acceptable diet.’ In the case of Pakistan, the numbers are even more worrying. Over 90 percent of children are not receiving the bare minimum of nutrition they need.

Children remain at the forefront of the battle against hunger. Almost 79 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, which would prevent them from reaching their full height. Another risk is the availability of cheap processed foods, which put children in Asia’s urban areas are the risk of obesity. Climate disasters and access to clean water are among the factors that contribute to reduced agricultural output and disease outbreaks. Poor hygiene is a contributing factor to malnutrition, with diseases such as diarrhoea diminishing health and nutrition among children. This means that the fight against hunger goes hand in hand with improving sanitation. The FAO has emphasised the need for cooperation between developing countries from the region in order to improve agricultural outcomes and share experiences of fighting hunger. The need for agricultural collaboration should go together with the agenda of reducing poverty. If the distribution of wealth does not improve, there is little chance of addressing hunger. The region continues to produce distributive inequalities that snatch food from the mouths of urban and rural populations. This will need to change through concentrated effort on an urgent basis.