The charity Action Against Hunger has set up a campaign demanding that world leaders fight global hunger. With the Millenium Development Review Summit around the corner it is time to take action. You can learn more and sign the campaign petition here.
Action Against Hunger says:
Trillions were spent to salvage the global economy, but the crisis of global hunger was overlooked. For the first time in history, over a billion people are hungry, and life-threatening malnutrition—a predictable, preventable, treatable condition—kills at least 3.5 million children each year.
We managed to rescue the banks. But not the millions thrust into hunger because of the global recession. Where’s their bailout?
As global leaders convene for the Millennium Development Review Summit this September, tell them that progress must start with commitments to end child deaths from hunger.
Petition Letter
This letter will be sent to the lead UN delegations from the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, and Spain.
I join Action Against Hunger in calling on global leaders to end hunger-related deaths and prioritize child nutrition.
Today, 19 million children are afflicted with life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. Yet, only an estimated 3% to 9% receive treatment. Acute malnutrition is a problem we can solve: we know where and when it occurs, we have the tools to treat it, and with a significant investment in proven community-based models, we can scale up our impact, close the treatment gap, and save the 3.5 million children who die of acute malnutrition each year.
Furthermore, investments in child nutrition are now widely considered “high-impact” during the “window of opportunity” between pre-pregnancy and two years of age, after which the effects of under-nutrition are largely irreversible. Prioritizing child nutrition delivers high returns: good nutrition is essential for avoiding irreversible harm, laying the groundwork for healthy and productive lives, and promoting economic growth over the long-term.
We must act now for governments to renew their commitments to child nutrition than at the UN’s Review Summit on the Millennium Development Goals. The battle against acute malnutrition is at a critical crossroads, and existing solutions can now be brought to scale to significantly reduce child deaths from malnutrition. I urge my government to pledge its support for targeted prevention and treatment interventions.
