COVID 19 and the Increasing Global Hunger

The world as of now is tightly engulfed in the jaws of the Covid19 pandemic and it has made one of the most basic necessities for survival farther from man's reach i.e. food. Food accessibility means making food available and accessible to even the poorest in the remotest corner of the world. Food accessibility is the most discussed topic yet it remains one of the least discussed upon topics today.

According to a recent report by Oxfam "The 1,000 richest people on the planet recouped their COVID-19 losses within just nine months, but it could take more than a decade for the world’s poorest to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic." The gross inequality and poverty prevailing since the existence of mankind have been increased enormously which means it is now harder for the poor to get a bare minimum amount of food for their survival

A picture depicting Food Inaccessibility and Food Hunger.

Source - https://www.ift.org/-/media/news-and-publications/brain-food-blog/2020/1020_world-food-day-ze

In the context of India, the situation is not much different from other developing countries. According to the 2011 census, about 270 million Indian people were reported to be poor. And it is a well-established fact that poverty is directly related to food security and nutrition. The situation has worsened in the time of COVID, India being one of the world’s largest food producers is home to malnourished children with its Global Hunger Index rank 102nd out of 117 countries. The migrant workers suffered the most during the lockdown when the poor were not only affected by the lack of conveyance but also lack food to feed themselves.

Migrants affected by Hunger in India during COVID lockdown.

Source - https://static.theprint.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Indiapoor-768x432.jpg

Food accessibility is based on humanitarian concepts which are mostly accepted all over the globe. The basic right of a human being to be able to consume enough for his survival should be the goal of every government. But many challenges such as unequal distribution of resources, more frequent and rampant natural calamities due to global warming, increasing economic instability and volatility, degradation of soil due to excessive land use, pollution arising due to industrialization and urbanization etc. Make it tougher to provide food accessible to all. There is a dire need now more than ever to execute decisive actions to get rid of this from the world.

With growing concerns, the world has also started to act up. The Food and Agriculture Organization, a special wing of the United Nations which was established to tackle world hunger is up to the task. The World Food Programme of the United Nations has also bagged the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 for its contribution to world hunger.

The Government of India has also taken cognizance of the threat and launched ambitious programs since independence for increasing food security. The PDS or public distribution system of GOI has provided the poor with basic food for decades now. Also, in 2020, in the wake of the novel Coronavirus outbreak, the government has launched a massive scheme to provide rice and wheat to the poor at minimal amounts.

Efforts are sprung up but the world is many years behind global hunger eradication and the collective and collaborative effort of everyone is necessary to get rid of it.