Hunger
Poverty is the principal reason so many people around the world are hungry. People living in poverty cannot afford nutritious food for their families. This makes them weaker and less able to earn money.
Hunger can have life-long consequences. Children who are chronically malnourished, or ‘stunted’, don’t just fail to thrive physically; they also fall behind in developing cognitive skills.
Millions of children face the everyday challenge of not knowing where their next meal is coming from—a situation that is exacerbated by persistent poverty, rising food prices, the effects of climate change and a growing gap between rich and poor.
The first 1000 days of a child's life from conception to two years are crucial for a child's physical and mental development. Children who are malnourished in the womb and during the first two years of life are often permanently mentally and physically damaged.