The anti-poverty organization Oxfam reported that 11 people die from hunger every minute, and confirmed that the number of individuals facing starvation-like conditions around the world has increased sixfold over the past year. In a report titled "The Hunger Virus is Multiplying," Oxfam stated on Thursday that the number of famine-related deaths exceeds the deaths caused by COVID-19, which kills about seven people per minute.
Oxfam America’s president and CEO, Abby Maxman, said, "The statistics are staggering, but we must remember that these numbers represent individuals facing unspeakable suffering. Even one person is an incredibly high number." The humanitarian organization also noted that 155 million people worldwide currently live in levels of crisis food insecurity or worse—about 20 million more than last year. Approximately two-thirds of them are experiencing hunger because their countries are in military conflict.
Maxman added, "Today, ongoing conflict, the economic impact of COVID-19, and the worsening climate crisis have pushed over 520,000 people to the brink of famine... Instead of fighting the pandemic, warring parties fought each other, often delivering the final blow to millions already affected by weather disasters and economic shocks." Despite the pandemic, Oxfam stated that global military spending increased by $51 billion during the pandemic, an amount that exceeds the UN's funding needs to stop hunger by at least six times.
