- Over 700 million people worldwide are believed to be food insecure and food demand is rising.
- Millions of people throughout the world now cannot afford food due to the economic effects of the pandemic.
- Lana Nusseibeh claimed that while the U.N. requested more than $54 billion this year, only 80% of those funds have been provided.
Over 700 million people worldwide are believed to be food insecure, according to the World Food Program (WFP), and food demand is rising. According to the organization, 45 million children under the age of five are estimated to be acutely malnourished, and almost 47 million people in more than 50 nations are only one step away from famine.
Up to 783 million people still go to bed hungry every night, according to estimates from the 79 countries where the WFP operates. This year, more than 345 million people—a rise of nearly 200 million from early 2021, before the COVID-19 pandemic—are experiencing severe food hardship.
UN’s food
According to the organization, a combination of violence, economic shocks, extreme weather, and rising fertilizer prices are to blame for the rising numbers. Millions of people throughout the world now cannot afford food due to the economic effects of the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, and the production of maize, rice, soybeans, and wheat has decreased as a result of high fertilizer prices.
Cindy McCain, the head of the WFP, asked corporate leaders at the U.N. Security Council to intensify ambitious, multi-sectoral collaborations to effectively combat hunger and poverty and decrease long-term humanitarian needs.
According to Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, government and development organizations have historically been in charge of providing humanitarian aid, while the private sector is viewed as a source of monetary donations for supplies.
Companies, however, may provide more than simply financial support; they can also contribute their knowledge to bolster infrastructure, develop fresh ideas, and scale up solutions to enhance humanitarian operations.
According to Goldman Sachs’ President of Global Affairs, Jared Cohen, organizations can carry out their obligations in times of crisis by relying on institutional memory and cooperating with other businesses and the public sector. Businesses must respond quickly, innovate at the moment, leverage local contacts, and contribute their knowledge to the humanitarian effort.
The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Lana Nusseibeh, claimed that while the U.N. requested more than $54 billion this year, only 80% of those funds have been provided. Previously valuable additions, public-private collaborations are now essential to humanitarian operations.
The UAE has been engaging with U.N. agencies and commercial enterprises on innovative technologies to reach individuals in need. They have also been establishing a digital platform to assist governments in leveraging international aid following natural catastrophes.
