Eradicating hunger, part of the MDG No.1, is the key to development. While people are hungry, all other development activities are thwarted. The hungry can concentrate little other than their next meal. Hungry mothers give birth to hungry children, who, if they live long enough, grow into hungry adults.
Although the proportion of hungry people in the world has declined over the past few years, the actual number of undernourished people has been rising for the past decade – mainly due to population growth and demand from the developing world.
We are on track to meet the goal of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015 in east and south-east Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the European part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and in north Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, however, where malnutrition is highest, we have a long way to go. In parts of west Asia and the Asian countries in the CIS, there has either been no progress or even a deterioration of the situation.
WFP and the Millennium Development Goals
WFP's role in achieving the first MDG is clear. Whether through its emergency operations or its relief or development projects, WFP's focus is on making sure food reaches hungry people. WFP's mission statement emphasises that WFP's activities aim to save lives, improve nutrition and quality of life among vulnerable people and help promote self-reliance.
But WFP's work also helps toward the second MDG - universal primary education. WFP school meals projects encourage parents to keep their children in school. Learn more
WFP's food assistance can also play an important role in meeting another five of the eight MDGs: empowering women, reducing child and maternal mortality, improving maternal health, combating AIDS and ensuring environmental sustainability.
