The women on the front lines of the Hunger Virus

9 July 2021

Today, Oxfam published a new report warning that as many as 11 people are likely dying of hunger and malnutrition every minute, outpacing the current global death rate of Covid-19 of approximately seven people per minute.

The report, entitled The Hunger Virus Multiplies, reveals that conflict remains the main cause of hunger since the pandemic, pushing over half a million people into famine-like conditions and marking a six-fold increase since last year.

Conflict combined with the climate crisis and the Covid-related economic crisis has led to 155 million people living in crisis levels of food insecurity or worse. This is 20 million more than last year.

On top of that, mass unemployment and disrupted food production have led to a 40 percent jump in global food prices - the highest increase in more than 10 years.

Today, we also meet some of the women worst affected by this worsening Hunger Virus.