UN demands urgent action against hunger in Asia-Pacific

ANKARA

Nearly half-a-billion of the world’s undernourished people live in the Asia-Pacific region, UN agencies said on Wednesday.

“Three million undernourished people in Asia and the Pacific must be lifted out of hunger each month from now on, if the region is to meet the Sustainable Development 2 Zero Hunger goal by the end of 2030,” said a report by UN.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) released on Wednesday a report -- titled Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition.

It called for urgent actions to tackle hunger and malnutrition, and to put nutrition at the center of social protection programs.

The report released latest figures on hunger, child undernutrition, overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.

"The prevalence of stunting and wasting in the region remains high, with stunting rates exceeding 20 percent in a majority of the region's countries," it said.

An estimated 77.2 million children under five years of age were stunted in 2018, and 32.5 million suffered from wasting, according to the report.

The UN agencies expressed hope that these findings released by the report will guide member countries to take “innovative and effective actions” for food security and nutrition across the region.

ANKARA

Nearly half-a-billion of the world’s undernourished people live in the Asia-Pacific region, UN agencies said on Wednesday.

It called for urgent actions to tackle hunger and malnutrition, and to put nutrition at the center of social protection programs.

The report released latest figures on hunger, child undernutrition, overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.

"The prevalence of stunting and wasting in the region remains high, with stunting rates exceeding 20 percent in a majority of the region's countries," it said.

An estimated 77.2 million children under five years of age were stunted in 2018, and 32.5 million suffered from wasting, according to the report.

The UN agencies expressed hope that these findings released by the report will guide member countries to take “innovative and effective actions” for food security and nutrition across the region.