Hundreds of millions go hungry in Asia-Pacific, report says

An overwhelming number of people in the Asia-Pacific region suffered from hunger and malnutrition last year due to high food costs, poverty and income equality, according to a newly released report, which called for more efforts from governments and organizations.

According to the 2021 Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, an estimated 375.8 million people in the region faced hunger in 2020, which is nearly 54 million more people than in 2019. More than 80 percent of these people live in South Asia.

Moreover, 443.8 million people in the region were severely food insecure in 2020, while an additional 667.4 million were moderately food insecure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted economic activity and livelihoods, and has caused a dramatic economic downturn in Asia and the Pacific and exacerbated hunger and food insecurity, stated the report, which was jointly issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and UNICEF on Wednesday.

Last year, more than 1.1 billion people did not have access to adequate food, an increase of almost 150 million people in just one year, and nearly 23 percent of children in the region are still stunted.

"Progress in reducing undernourishment in Asia and the Pacific slowed during the past few years, and the number of undernourished increased substantially (17 percent) between 2019 and 2020," the report said. It also said although it was not possible yet to fully quantify the damage that COVID-19 had done to food security and nutrition, the pandemic has "had a serious impact on the region".

Fan Shenggen, a professor from China Agricultural University, said the pandemic has indeed exacerbated global food insecurity and malnutrition, and is also a wake-up call for the transformation and innovation of agriculture and the food system.

The report also stated that the focus must revolve around meeting the needs of small-scale family farmers and local people in the region.

"Food systems must also prioritize the dietary needs of vulnerable groups, including young children and women," it stated.

"The situation could have been worse without the response of governments and the impressive social protection measures they put in place during the crisis. In building back better food environments, future agri-food systems will have to provide better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better lives."