International Year of Youth - Fact Sheet - Youth and Hunger

Halving the number of undernourished by 2015 from 1990 levels was the goal of the 1996 World Food Summit and the target of the Millennium Development Goal 1. Unfortunately, however, hunger and malnutrition rates in the world continue to grow and are accelerating due to the current unprecedented financial crisis and the 2008 food crisis. The combination of lower incomes and higher prices has caused food, a basic right for all, to be beyond the reach of millions of people. One sixth of all of humanity - approximately 1 billion - are hungry and under-nourished. The hardest hit are populations in rural areas, especially in regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Children and young people, particularly girls, are among the most vulnerable as, hunger and malnutrition severely affect their physical and mental development and inhibit their ability to learn and participate in social and recreational activities.