International
Hunger in the world remains at high levels for the third consecutive year
Hunger levels remained worryingly high in 2023 for the third consecutive year, with about 733 million people chronically undernourished worldwide, according to a report released on Wednesday by five United Nations agencies.
The report on “The state of food security and nutrition in the world,” presented in Rio de Janeiro, coinciding with the ministerial meetings of the G20, shows an alarming global scenario in which one in eleven people went hungry last year.
Hunger continues to increase in Africa, where 20.4% of its population suffers, stabilizes in Asia (8.1%) and is experiencing progress in Latin America (6.2%), except in the Caribbean region.
“In Africa, conflicts have increased and access to finance has been greatly reduced,” Máximo Torero, chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO), told EFE.
The world has gone back 15 years in the fight against hunger, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those of 2008-2009, in the heat of wars, the climate crisis, the loss of purchasing power corroded by inflation, the lack of funding and the growing social inequality.
These phenomena, especially wars, climatic catastrophes and economic crises, “are increasingly frequent and serious,” the report warns.
The ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic remain. Today, there are 152 million more people who go hungry compared to 2019.
Between 2022 and 2023 there were advances in the rates of growth retardation and exclusive breastfeeding, but access to adequate food continues to be an “unattainable” chimera for many
Last year, about 2,33 billion people, that is, almost a third of the world’s population, faced moderate or severe food insecurity, practically the same level that was reached during the coronavirus crisis.
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“The pandemic has greatly exacerbated inequalities,” Torero said.
This year’s report emphasizes the “urgent” need for “greater and more profitable financing, with a clear and standardized definition” in favor of food security and nutrition, especially in poor countries.
“You need to invest more and do it smarter. Investments should not come only from governments; also from the private sector, which we hope will have a part in this fight against rural hunger and poverty,” Rossana Polastri, IFAD’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, told EFE.
Not covering that financing deficit will have “social, economic and environmental” consequences that will require solutions that will also cost several billion dollars.
If the trend continues, “582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, half of them in Africa,” warn FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Program (WFP) and the Children’s Fund (Unicef), authors of the study.
A figure far removed from the target of zero famine set for that year.
To get closer to that goal that seems impossible today, Brazil, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, launches this Wednesday a Global Alliance against Hunger with which it intends to end this scourge through better coordination and greater investment.
Central America
Young actress Adriana Isabel Mojica dies in tragic accident in Torrelodones
Young actress and singer Adriana Isabel Mojica, 19 years old, died Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Torrelodones, Spain, confirmed the town’s mayor.
“I am deeply shocked by the death of our young neighbor Adriana Isabel in this tragic accident. My heartfelt support goes to her family and friends during these terribly difficult times. Rest in peace,” posted Almudena Negro, Mayor of Torrelodones.
According to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper, the incident occurred on the A-6 motorway, at kilometer 31.5, at 7:35 a.m.
International
Salvadoran Day celebration returns to Dallas with cultural festivities and free admission
With great joy, Salvadorans residing in Dallas, Texas, will celebrate Salvadoran Day this Saturday, a festival that will bring together thousands of Salvadorans to revive the culture of our country.
The event will take place at the Levy Event Plaza in Irving, Texas. Admission is free, and it is one of the largest Salvadoran events in the United States.
The festival has been held for 25 years, starting in Los Angeles, California, and has expanded to other states, with Dallas hosting it for the second consecutive year.
“Last year, we celebrated it, and thank God it was a success. This year, we will feature our mythological characters, which we started implementing last year and want to continue. It will be a family event, and we want all Hispanics living in Dallas to join us,” said Evelyn Molina, the event organizer.
International
Panama boosts deportations of migrants through Darién gap amid significant drop in arrivals
The Panamanian government pledged on Tuesday to increase the number of deportations of irregular migrants arriving in the country through the Darién Gap, a dangerous jungle that connects with Colombia. The flow of migrants through this area dropped by more than 50 percent in August after President José Raúl Mulino promised to drastically reduce the influx.
“It is clear and evident that given the volume of people, it is difficult to say that we will deport about 500 per day, but we are improving logistics. We are at the beginning of this program,” said Minister of Public Security Frank Alexis Ábrego, as reported by the newspaper ‘El Siglo.’
Ábrego noted that repatriations are voluntary and depend on individuals who wish to return to their countries. He also mentioned the detection of criminals “sought by Interpol and police forces from Ecuador, Colombia, and other countries” who entered Panama through the Darién Gap.
“The goal is to cut off the passage of these criminals to the United States. Our primary interest is to protect our citizens from these criminals attempting to transit through our country; for example, in the last two months, we have detected two members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13, and the most recent one was already residing in our country,” he added.
Finally, he stated that the United States contributed approximately six million dollars to fund deportation flights as part of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.
Over half a million people crossed this area in 2023, where three crossings were closed in July to try to reduce or at least manage arrivals. The Biden administration has also sought cooperation from Panamanian authorities to control the migrant flow to its southern border with Mexico.
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