World ‘within reach’ of halving hunger by 2015: UN report

New York: Although one in eight people around the globe still does not have enough to eat, the goal of halving hunger by 2015 is close to being realised, according to a UN report. The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013 was released yesterday. "The hunger reduction target is within reach if recent slowdowns in progress can be reversed," the report said, referring to the goal of slashing undernourishment rates by half between 1990 and 2015. While the numbers remain "disturbingly high" with 870 million not consuming enough each day, the proportion of undernourished people in the total population has decreased from 23.2 per cent in 1990-1992 to 14.9 per cent in 2010-2012. "This suggests that progress in reducing hunger has been more pronounced than previously believed, and that the target of halving the percentage of people suffering from hunger by 2015 is within reach. "The 60-page report also highlights the fact that Southeast Asia is the only developing region that reached the hunger reduction target ahead of the 2015 deadline with achievements being made in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Laos is also close to meeting its national target, UN officials said. East Asia is "on track" to meet its goal with undernourished populations decreasing from 20.8 per cent to 11.5 per cent. The report said "relatively swift" progress has been noted in the Caucasus and Central Asian region and in Latin America. However, the Caribbean, South Asian, sub-Saharan and Oceania regions are lagging behind others. West Asia stands out as the only area where undernourishment rates between 1990-1992 and 2010-2012, jumped up from 17.9 to 31 per cent, with increases noted in Palestine and Yemen. In 2000, world leaders gathered at the United Nations to set out the so called Millennium Development Goals, which laid out eight objectives ranging from reducing extreme poverty by half to promoting gender equality and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The goals were to be met by 2015. The report also suggested that despite earlier predictions, chronic hunger rates did not spike from 2007-2009 during the economic crisis, but economic circumstances "worsened" in many nations, causing a significant slowdown. Another highlight is seen in the positive strides being made in health with "big gains" in fighting malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. (KYODO) PTI