World hunger: the problem
35 children are born into hunger every minute.
Hunger knows no borders, no boundaries and no limits. Today, the number of people experiencing hunger is at record levels. In fact, at least 18.2 million children were born into hunger in 2024. This is equivalent to 35 children being born into hunger every minute.
As the climate crisis deepens, conflict escalates and global inequality widens, more and more children face the ever-growing threat of hunger.
They can’t learn, play, or grow. Their childhoods slip away.
A rising tide of war – from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan – is forcing families from their homes, destroying farmland and essential infrastructure, and creating tens of millions of refugees who struggle to get the food they need.
A wave of floods, drought, storms and wildfires – driven by climate change – is devastating crops and livelihoods, leaving children without enough to eat. And economic turmoil is pushing the price of food beyond the reach of many families.
This is a crisis on a vast scale – devastating millions of lives across dozens of countries. Behind the appalling numbers are the stories of individual children.
Hunger is one of the biggest threats to childhood
When a child can’t eat, hunger starts eating their world.
It drains their energy and silences play.
It consumes their curiosity and crushes learning.
It grinds down their joy and turns their dreams to dust.
But together we can stop hunger.
Save the Children equips children and their families with what they need to fight hunger.
You can help children fight for their childhood. Together we can ensure hunger is beaten for good.
Millions of children’s lives and futures are hanging in the balance. But, hunger is not a lost cause. Together we can stop this crisis in its tracks.
Let's build a world where no child goes hungry. Donate now and you’ll help us deliver life-saving support to children on the frontline of this crisis.
Keep scrolling to read the stories of children impacted by the global hunger crisis and find out how we can stop hunger.
The climate crisis and hunger: Abdi*'s story
Children across Somalia are facing yet another hunger crisis and climate-related drought is a contributing factor.
There is no food to eat. That's why we are worried, and the weather is hot. We are facing drought. People have migrated. The lakes have no water. We don't have enough water. There is no grass in the field."
Ayaan* is a grandmother and the guardian of her six grandchildren, including 17-month-old Abdi*. Ayaan worries about the hunger crisis and getting the children enough food to eat.
Abdi suffered from severe malnutrition, which began when he was two months old. With no access to proper nutrients, his health deteriorated. His 10-year-old sister Faduma* tells us:
He couldn't play with me. He became thin. He was too small to be carried. When my brother had malnutrition, I feared he would die. I felt worried. I feared for his life.
Save the Children played a crucial role in supporting Ayaan's family and helping Abdi overcome severe malnutrition by providing medicine and nutrition.
But, climate change is fuelling worse and more frequent floods, droughts, storms and wildfires. Furthermore, as temperatures rise, crop production will become more and more difficult.
This devastates crops and livelihoods, leaving children without enough to eat. Children like Abdi.
Conflict and hunger: Jok*'s story
Jok loves going to school and spending time with his friends, but he often finds himself not being able to concentrate because he gets so hungry.
I used to go to school even though I used to have low concentration. The only thing one can do is just to be strong because once you feel hungry you cannot [just] leave school.”
Jok's story is like that of many children around the world.
A rising tide of conflict – from Ukraine to Gaza to South Sudan – is forcing families from their homes, destroying farmland and creating tens of millions of refugees who struggle to get the food they need.
Conflict is the number one driver of food insecurity. 8 out of 10 food crises are driven by conflict. As conflict and hunger intensify, we know that children will be the most affected.
Children living in a conflict zone are more than twice as likely to suffer from malnutrition than children living in a peaceful setting.
What are we doing to fight hunger?
Fadumo* (middle), 30, with other health workers holding therapeutic peanut paste, used to treat children at a hospital in Puntland, Somalia. Photo: Mustafa Saeed / Save the Children
Fadumo* (middle), 30, with other health workers holding therapeutic peanut paste, used to treat children at a hospital in Puntland, Somalia. Photo: Mustafa Saeed / Save the Children
Save the Children equips children and their families with what they need to fight hunger:
- Our expert medical teams treat children with severe malnutrition, using antibiotics and therapeutic milk.
- We put malnourished children on a course of high-energy peanut paste packed with all the vitamins, minerals and calories they need to survive and recover rapidly.
- We train health workers to spot, diagnose, prevent and treat malnutrition in their communities.
- In the aftermath of a disaster, we get emergency food and meals to families who would otherwise have nothing to eat.
- We give parents the cash they need to buy nutritious food for their children.
- We support farming families to sustainably grow food.
Junior, 16, holding a seedling in a community garden in Malaita Province, the Solomon Islands. Photo: Conor Ashleigh / Save the Children.
Junior, 16, holding a seedling in a community garden in Malaita Province, the Solomon Islands. Photo: Conor Ashleigh / Save the Children.
After the training we planted taro, kumara, tomatoes, cabbage, and beans. I like eating potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, also kakama and kakake.”
Junior's family took part in Save the Children's resilient farming training sessions in the Solomon Islands.
Together we have the power to transform lives and end world hunger. Act now.
Childhood hunger and malnutrition can be stopped but we need your help.
Together we can stop hunger.
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