UN says 2.4 billion people didn’t have constant access to food last year

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N.  has delivered grim news on global food security: 2.4 billion people didn’t have constant access to food last year, as many as 783 million faced hunger, and 148 million children suffered from stunted growth. Five U.N. agencies said in the 2023  report on Food Security and Nutrition launched Wednesday that global hunger numbers stalled between 2021 and 2022, but many places face deepening food crises. They pointed to Western Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa where 20% of the population is experiencing hunger, more than twice the global average.  The U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency chief said “Recovery from the global pandemic has been uneven, and the war in Ukraine has affected the nutritious food and healthy diets.