Increased reprioritisation of national expenditure towards control of COVID19 will affect allocations to other sectors such as agriculture which would have long-term effects on food production and supply. The economic fallout for the continent has the potential to be severe and long-lasting.

The WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger is a global hub for knowledge exchange, capacity development and technical assistance to assist countries achieve zero hunger while it supports national ownership of programmes that guarantee sustainability of actions.

Micronutrient deficiency continues to affect sizeable sections of the global population in India and this “hidden hunger” extracts a substantial toll in terms of morbidity, mortality, reduced economic productivity and poor quality of life from those who are affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the weakness of food and health systems, disproportionately impacting already vulnerable populations.

HarvestPlus is committed to making food systems healthier and more inclusive to benefit the world’s most vulnerable people—particularly smallholder farming families in low- and middle-income countries.

The plight of indigenous peoples has drawn increased attention in recent years as they strive to retain their cultures and protect their ecosystems, lands and food traditions in the face of globalisation.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to virtually every corner of the world, lockdowns, supply disruptions, and economic pain have followed in its wake, raising alarm about food and nutrition security among policy makers, the development community, and other observers.

Today, nearly 55 million people in the Arab States, 13.2 percent of the population, are hungry and the situation is particularly worrying in countries affected by conflicts and violence: Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen.

While the prevalence of undernourishment has declined in Bangladesh, there still are 26 million food-insecure people in the country. Cox’s Bazar alone has 695,000 people that are severely food-insecure with over 34 percent of the population living under the food consumption poverty line.

Governments and partners across the Asia-Pacific region are acting to protect citizens from Coronavirus disease –2019 (COVID-19). These crucial efforts will save many lives. However, measures needed to slow the transmission of the disease are resulting in hardship for many vulnerable families.