Santo Domingo.- The representative of the World Food Program (WFP) in the Dominican Republic, Gabriela Alvarado, presented a global perspective on the increase in hunger and food insecurity worldwide.
Hunger and food insecurity have been increasing globally, but the Dominican Republic is an exception.
According to the latest progress report on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), the number of people facing hunger and food insecurity is increasing worldwide. In 2022, 9.2% of the world’s population, approximately 735 million people, suffered from chronic hunger. This represented an increase of 122 million more people compared to 2019.
Alvarado emphasized the importance of school feeding programs in the Caribbean, which support around 3.8 million children daily, with almost 53% of them in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic has managed to reduce child malnutrition, but it also faces challenges related to overweight, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, known as hidden hunger.
Despite global trends, the Dominican Republic has shown a 6.3% decrease in the prevalence of hunger, in contrast to the global increase. These ideas were shared during the celebration of “World Food Day” at the National Palace.