• In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food.

More than 842 million people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

1.2 billion people—approximatelyone-fifth of the world’s population—live on less than $1 a day.

• Every day, more than 30,000 children die of hunger and preventable diseases.

• Socially, the lack of food erodes relationships and feeds shame so that those most in need of support are often least able to call on it

• Undernourishment negatively affects people’s health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation

• Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness.

• Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income.

• In the US alone, 35 million peopleexperience daily hunger. Food pantriesand food kitchens feed more than13 million people each month.

Daily food energy available per person

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1.• All human beings are born free and equal

in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 22.• Everyone, as a member of society, has the right

to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 25.• Everyone has the right to a standard of living

adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Moved to act?For more information…

• Are We On Track To End Hunger? Hunger Report 2004. Bread for the World Institutehttp://www.bread.org/institute/hunger_report/index.html

State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/j0083e/j0083e00.htm

• Human Development Report 2003, Millennium Development Goals: A compact among nations to end human poverty, United Nations Development Programme. http://www.undp.org/hdr2003/

• World Health Organization.http://www.who.int/en/

• State of the World's Children Report 2004—Girls, Education and Development. UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_4810.html

• UNICEFhttp://www.unicef.org/aids/index_action.html

• State of Food Insecurity in the World 2004. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/007/y5650e/y5650e00.htm