Although the COVID-19 pandemic could push nearly 50 million more people into extreme poverty, this and other dire impacts of the crisis can be avoided if countries act immediately to shore up global food security, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday. For his latest policy brief on the pandemic, António Guterres focused on the need to safeguard everyone’s access to food and adequate nutrition: for now, and in the future.
As the Secretary-General pointed out, millions were already grappling with hunger and malnutrition before the pandemic. While there is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone, more than 820 million people still do not get enough to eat, and numbers no doubt will rise. Meanwhile, some 144 million children worldwide under the age of five are stunted, meaning they are too small for their age, mainly due to malnutrition.Mr. Guterres added that even in countries with abundant food, COVID-19 risks disrupting food supply chains.
The UN policy brief lays out three main recommendations geared towards saving lives and livelihoods, which also support the transition to a greener future. First, countries should designate food and nutrition services as essential, while also implementing protections for those who work in the sector. Authorities are also urged to scale up support for food processing, transport and local markets, and to ensure food systems can continue to function by keeping trade corridors open. Mr. Guterres added that relief and stimulus packages must reach the most vulnerable, including small-scale food producers and rural businesses.
The UN chief underlined the need to strengthen social protection systems for nutrition, which includes supporting the millions of children worldwide currently missing out on school feeding programmes. Looking beyond the pandemic, the Secretary-General called for transforming food systems to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable world. Mr. Guterres urged countries to build food systems which address the needs of both producers and workers, and to eradicate hunger by ensuring more people have access to healthy, nutritious food.
Source: The UN
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