Source: Save the Children
Hunger is the most concerning issue affecting children around the world this year, according to almost half of adults surveyed in almost every continent by Save the Children.
The survey of more than 25,000 adults between September and October was the largest global audience insights study of its kind for the aid agency, and reflects the urgency of the hunger crisis that has been sweeping across the world due to a combination of the climate crisis, conflict, and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study found that 45% of adults surveyed in 13 countries believe hunger is the issue affecting children the most in their country and globally.
Save the Children conducted the survey in a range of high-, middle- and low-income countries, such as Canada, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Survey participants could choose up to three options from a list of 10 issues affecting children. ‘Poverty’ emerged a close second to hunger at 40% of respondents identifying it as a primary concern they have for children, followed by ‘violence towards children’ at about 39%.
In contrast, ‘climate change’ and ‘emergencies and natural disasters’ received the least number of votes, at about 14% and 10% respectively. When children are directly asked about the issues affecting them, climate change takes centre stage. Last year, Save the Children found that 83% of children in 15 countries reported witnessing climate change or inequality, or both, affecting the world around them.
Children at COP28, which is drawing to a close this week in Dubai, said that growing up is hard enough, let alone now having to worry about the ripple effects of the climate crisis.
“It’s not just about rain and sunshine; it’s about how these changes make life so much harder. Children stop dreaming about their futures because they have to focus on finding food and water instead,” 16-year-old Nafiso, from Somalia, said at COP28. “The scary part is that even though everyone feels the effects of climate change, children are the ones who suffer the most.”
Globally, about 20% of people surveyed reported ‘conflict and war’ was among their top concerns for children. The survey was conducted before the escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel on 7 October.
Conflicts, economic instability, and repeated climate shocks have fueled a devastating hunger crisis around the world, with an average of 33 children born into hunger every minute in 2023. The hunger crisis has continued largely unabated in places such Sudan, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have a combined 7.8 million children facing emergency levels of hunger – just one step away from starvation, death, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels.
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