September 23, 2010. For the first time in fifteen years, the total number of people in the world suffering chronic hunger has dropped. In 2009 there were 1.023 billion people without enough to eat, but in 2010 that number has dropped by almost 100 million.

Although these are encouraging statistics, they cannot be considered as positive because behind each number is a human being who survives with fewer than 1800 calories a day.

These are the conclusions of a report presented in Rome and prepared by FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in collaboration with the World Food Program.

Jacques Diouf, director general of FAO, defined the figures as encouraging but “unacceptable”.

Jaques Diouf

Director general FAO

“While this figures mark an improvement compared to last years peak in world hunger of 1 billion persons, there is no call for complaisance. Nearly 1 billion hungry is and remains unacceptable. A child dying every 6 seconds because of hunger nourishment related problems is the world latest tragedy and scandal”.

Diouf declared that the aim of achieving the first of the Millennium Goals (that of reducing the number of hungry people by half) still remains far distant. Moreover, two thirds of the people who suffer hunger are concentrated in just seven countries: Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Congo, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.

According to the FAO director general, combating hunger needs 45 billion dollars a year, as well as programs and policies seriously aimed at its eradication, such as those that have been put into effect in countries like Brazil, Nicaragua and Guyana.

Jaques Diouf

Director general FAO

“We know what should be done and how to do it. Such stories do exist in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America. These experiences need to be chilled up and replicated”.

A door open to hope which shows how it is possible to achieve clear and effective progress in the struggle against hunger.