35 Children Born into Hunger Every Minute – Conflict and Climate Push Millions of Babies into Hunger in 2024
At least 18.2 million children were born into hunger in 2024—about 35 every minute, according to a Save the Children analysis. A baby born every two seconds faces food insecurity in this world!
The latest report is titled “2024 IN REVIEW: 35 CHILDREN BORN INTO HUNGER EVERY MINUTE IN 2024”.
Conflict and climate crises pushed at least 800,000 more children into hunger this year. Save the Children analyzed U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data to report a 5% increase in number of children born into hunger from 2023 and a 19% rise since 2019.
According to the official estimated data, in 2001, over 21.5 million children were born into hunger. The number dropped to 14.5 million in 2018 but rose to 15.3 million in 2019. By 2024, at least 18.2 million undernourished births at a minimum were recorded.
Hunger surged globally due to “conflict, displacement, extreme weather events, and the increasing relative cost of food”.
According to the analysis, countries with famine risks include South Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and Sudan. In Sudan alone, famine-level malnutrition spread across half of its states.
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Hannah Stephenson, Global Head of Hunger and Nutrition at Save the Children, says, “Over 18 million newborns this year – 35 children a minute – were born into a world where hunger is their reality from their first moments of life. Hunger knows no boundaries.”
She called for immediate funding, humanitarian access, and action to address hunger’s root causes.
“We need immediate funding and safe access for humanitarian lifesaving services for children and families in desperate need of food, nutrition, healthcare, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, social protection and livelihoods support.”
The reports states that in countries where 20% of the population is facing hunger Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) saw the highest number of undernourished newborns, at 1.6 million in 2024. Conflict is the main driver of hunger in the region. Pakistan is the second highest with babies born undernourished, with 1.4 million babies born into hunger this year. Floods and droughts affected food access in the region in 2024 as it is “one of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries”.
Save the Children urges world leaders to address conflicts, climate crises, and inequality and calls for stronger health, nutrition, and social protection systems in nations with poor economies and food availability.
