Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic hunger, despite abundant global food production.
It is estimated that 820 million people globally do not have enough to eat, with 54 per cent of South Africans going hungry or at risk of hunger.
With the loss of income resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, there are indicators that this may lead to higher levels of food insecurity in SA.
Recent news around desperate pleas for emergency food parcels is a clear indication of this, making World Hunger Day on May 28 even more relevant.
“Chronic hunger goes hand in hand with poverty,” said Dr Marc Aguirre, country director and regional technical advisor for HOPE worldwide.
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“Persistent shortages of food are linked to deep-seated social inequalities and we are seeing a rapidly deteriorating landscape of hunger and poverty right here on our doorstep. Tragically, children are bearing the brunt of the hunger pandemic with millions stunted and wasted, and their futures are in jeopardy,” he said.
“Hunger and poverty are inextricably linked to a host of issues that affect people’s health, and with a pandemic on our doorstep, while the fight against hunger is not a new one, and with the country’s economic climate worsening threatening the livelihoods of many, action must be taken to help those in need.
“The World Food Programme has indicated that there is a risk of a hunger pandemic as Covid-19 is set to almost double acute hunger by the end of 2020. As such, getting food aid right has never been more critical.
“Now more than ever we need to look at the social compact, join the forces of the public, private and NPO sectors and build up a targeted and sustainable network of feeding schemes, ones that target and reach the most vulnerable.”
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KFC Add Hope have been working with a network of beneficiaries for over 11 years to make a real difference and break the cycle.
The initiative provides 30 million meals per year to over 150 000 children, supporting more than 140 different non-profit organisations.
These are for the most part, early childhood development centres and school feeding schemes, and include several organisations with a national footprint, as well as smaller organisations which service specific communities.
“To date, due to continued efforts by our beneficiary organisations on the ground, KFC Add Hope has been able to steadily increase the reach and scale of its relief feeding efforts with over two million meals distributed and 35 049 emergency food parcels delivered in over nine provinces, reaching more than 175 000 people with 560 tonnes of food,” said Andra Nel, CSI manager for KFC.
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“The response to our food crisis needs to move beyond the role of the NPOs and charities towards empowering change agents, mobilising people at grass roots level and forging effective and meaningful partnerships with local governments,” said Nel.
“Today, more than ever, we need to look at mechanisms that address the inequality in access to food, one that tackles transformation and ensures food is a basic right, especially for children,” said Aguirre.
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