World Hunger Day - History, Significance, Theme

Every year on May 28, World Hunger Day is observed across the globe. Regarded as an international day since 2011, the prime objective behind celebrating this day is to raise awareness of chronic hunger worldwide and how more than 800 million people are stuck in hunger and immense poverty. Apart from raising awareness, International Hunger Day also seeks to address the issues of hunger and poverty and save lives through sustainable actions.

World Hunger Day History

International Hunger Day was launched by The Hunger Project, an international organization committed to resolving global hunger and poverty through tenable solutions. It is a non-profit group founded back in 1977 and consists of heads of state, business executives, and experts in social justice and women's rights from various parts of the globe.

International Hunger Day Significance

It has been observed that nearly 690 million people worldwide live in chronic hunger, with as many as 60% of them being women. Almost 98% of them, who suffer from malnourishment, are from middle and low-income countries. Furthermore, what's astounding to note is that hunger kills more people than numerous deadly diseases known to mankind, including malaria, AIDS, and tuberculosis combined.

This day seeks to address this disparity and help find solutions that can uproot the malaises of hunger and poverty completely from the globe rather than just providing a day's worth of food to the needy.

World Hunger Day 2021 Theme

Like most other international awareness days, World Hunger Day also has special themes each year. The theme for the year 2021 was "Access Ends Hunger." The theme seeks to elaborate on how access to education, technology, and proper healthcare can help eradicate the vices of hunger and poverty.

According to The Hunger Project, education helps to do away with social disparities and biases and empower global communities by creating equal opportunities, which essentially helps eradicate poverty and hunger in the long run. Sadly, even basic education is still inaccessible for millions of children worldwide. Added to it are the issues of school dropouts and the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on school-goers, which further increased global poverty to a great extent.

Like education, access to technology is also of prime importance in the contemporary age to ward off poverty and hunger. According to The Hunger Project, it has the power to uplift and empower communities by providing access to basic information, online education opportunities, and health services, among many other things. Accessibility to internet facilities can (and have in many regions of the world) bring positive changes in the rural economy and enable women to find more jobs and become earning members of their families.

FAQs on World Hunger Day

Q.1) When and by whom was International Hunger Day launched?

International Hunger Day was launched in 2011 by a non-profit global organization named, The Hunger Project.

Q.2) When is World Hunger Day Celebrated?

World Hunger Day is celebrated every year on May 28.

Q.3) What was the theme of World Hunger Day 2021?

The theme for World Hunger Day 2021 was "Access Ends Hunger."