Extreme Poverty and World Hunger

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• According to the Oxford English Dictionary 1971, hunger means 1) the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite; also the exhausted condition caused by want of food; 2) the want or scarcity of food in a country; 3) a strong desire or craving. World hunger corresponds to the second definition because it relates to hunger at the world level (Hunger Notes).
Malnutrition means that one is lacking some or all nutritional elements that are necessary for proper health. There are two types of malnutrition: o Protein-energy malnutrition, or PEM
• This means that one is lacking protein and other foods that provide energy to the body. This is what is commonly associated with world hunger. This is the most lethal form of hunger because there is a lack of protein which is essential for key body functions such as the development and maintenance of muscles. Protein can come from meat or other sources that provide energy. The amount of energy in food is measured using calories. All of the basic food groups provide energy. o Micronutrient
• This means there is a not enough vitamins and minerals in one’s diet. Though this is a form of malnutrition, it does not necessarily relate to world hunger (Hunger Notes).
• In October 2010, it was estimated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that there were 925 million (13.6% of the world’s population of 6.8 billion) people suffering from hunger (undernutrition). o 19 million in developed countries o 37 million near East and North Africa o 53 million in Latin America and the Caribbean o 239 million in Sub-Saharan Africa o 578 million in Asia and the Pacific (Hunger Notes)
• According to this estimate, the number of people suffering from undernourish...

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...rs o Connecting farmers to market through Purchase for Progress (P4P) which gives smallholder farmers the opportunity to access and compete in agricultural markets o Helping people living with HIV/AIDS who suffer not only from their disease but also from poverty, malnutrition, and discrimination o Putting focus on women suffering from hunger since they are more likely to go hungry than men in many parts of the world such as Asia and South America o Understanding the food security situation of populations through VAM (Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping) which provides an analysis of food security o Providing the right type and quantity of food for each country/population and making sure the food that is delivered is nutritionally appropriate to address the problems at hand o Delivering the food through tough terrains by surface transport, shipping, and aviation (WFP)

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