June represents Hunger Awareness Month and provides us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the suffering experienced by so many people around the globe.  According to Action Against Hunger which cites a UN Hunger Report, hunger is the term used to define periods when populations experience severe food insecurity.  Food insecurity is defined as enduring entire days without eating due to lack of money, lack of access to food, or other resources. 

Around 690 million people go to bed hungry every night around the world.  A major reason for hunger globally is conflict, as the UN estimates that 122 millions of 144 million children who are impacted by hunger live in countries affected by conflict.  Around 14 million children under the age of five worldwide suffer from severe malnutrition while only 25% of these malnourished children have access to lifesaving treatment.   

Hunger is interconnected with poverty and influenced by an array of social, political demographic, and societal factors.  Individuals that face poverty also tend to face household food insecurity, live in unsafe environments with low access to quality water, sanitation, and hygiene, and inadequate access to health services and education.  Conflicts around the globe, weather-related events, economic downturns, as well as export revenues affect food availability, decrease people’s ability to access food, and overall contribute to hunger and food insecurity.   

Additionally, the UN study suggests that there is more than enough food produced to feed everyone on the planet.  Small farmers, herders, and fishermen are responsible for producing around 70% of the global food supply.  Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to food insecurity, as poverty and hunger have a more substantial impact on rural populations.    

Action Against Hunger has been around since 1979 and they are the only international non-government organization solely focused on reducing and eliminating hunger and undernutrition.  Their contributions have led to the reduction of undernourished people worldwide by 50% in that time.  Lastly, they treat more children suffering from severe acute malnutrition than any other NGO.  (An NGO is a non-profit organization that operates independently of any government, hence non-governmental organization).   

Our hearts break for individuals that suffer from food insecurity and those who experience hunger on a daily basis, and we vigilantly keep them in our prayers.  That makes the work we are doing at F4 so important as we are striving to connect free sources of food to those in need.  We have successfully been responsible for the distribution of over 4 million pounds of food across 35 states.  We believe in creating a world without hunger and we plan on continuing our efforts to address the travesty that is hunger and food insecurity globally.