Record-high levels of hunger are being driven by ongoing and emerging conflicts; the cumulative impact of extreme weather events including historic, back-to-back droughts, locust swarms, and landscape-changing floods; ongoing economic shocks resulting from the pandemic; and skyrocketing costs of food, fuel, and fertilizer.
According to U.N. Women, hundreds of millions of people worldwide are experiencing acute food insecurity and hunger — and women and girls are disproportionately affected. In countries facing conflict and hunger, women are often last to eat, as they prioritize the needs of their families over their own.
And when families don’t have enough to eat or enough money to buy food, they must often make difficult and dangerous choices that have far-reaching consequences to children’s well-being, including separating their family or selling their children into marriage or forced labor.
World Vision: Impact update
Women and girls around the world are hungry for change, and together, we are making real change happen right now to address the global hunger crisis.
Since World Vision launched its response to this crisis in March 2021, over 25 million people — more than half of them women and girls — received life-saving assistance through our programs.
Some highlights include:
7,555,859people reached with cash and food voucher assistance.
2,136,502 people reached with access to clean, potable water.
627,635 children reached to address severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition.
307,938people reached with messaging to prevent exploitation and abuse and have been equipped with positive coping strategies.
Numbers like these, and the incredible story below, wouldn’t be possible without your support — thank you.
Recovering from malnutrition - Jusline’s story
“At first, everyone thought Jusline would not survive.” In late 2020, we met 5-year-old Jusline in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suffering from severe acute malnutrition, she was fighting for her life.
She was brought to one of our health centers, where she underwent weeks of treatment. When she was released from the center, her mother worked hard to ensure she wouldn’t relapse. Our staff tried to stay in close contact with Jusline and her mother to monitor her progress, but this was made difficult by the ongoing conflict in the country. Benedicte, our determined nutritionist, was eager to get back to Jusline and see how she was doing, and recently visited her family.
Jusline, now 8, is a happy and healthy little girl. She has had an incredible recovery from malnutrition. In fact, over the last 10 years, 89% of the severely malnourished children World Vision treated made a full recovery. Her mother is eager for an end to the conflict so that she can send Jusline to school.
Partner spotlight: Advocating for change
A letter fromlongtime SWSW and Emergency Response donor partner, Pati Frey
In 2022, more than 44 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households. And globally, that number was estimated to be nearly 2.4 billion.
My sister is a principal at the largest elementary school in my area. The students come to school and get to eat two meals every day. Many are even sent home with food. I know that it's possible to feed our children, and yet, there's an ongoing global hunger crisis.
Last month I was given the opportunity to join World Vision and other passionate partners in Washington, D.C., to effect real change, raise awareness, and provide information on hunger issues happening around the world.
After a day of training, lots of motivation, and plentiful prayer, we set off to visit the offices of our members of Congress. And we weren't alone — we were joined by some amazing Christian high school students from across the U.S.
Thankfully, the meetings went well. I think the visit was enhanced by the students who provided critical, firsthand information.
And we are already seeing positive results and movement coming out of those meetings. I was honored to be able to lend my time and voice to such an important issue affecting so many here in the U.S. and globally.
It was wonderful to see democracy at work!
Cheryl Ryan (left) and Pati Frey (right) in Washington D.C.
You can be an advocate for change too! Click the button below to learn more about the Farm Bill and how you can help.
I’m looking forward to the coming holiday season and the time we get to spend with family and friends. Around this time every year, as I begin to reflect on what I am both thankful and hopeful for, I am reminded of the challenges I saw firsthand during my travels — ongoing conflict, hunger, famine, droughts, and vicious cycles of poverty. A heartbreaking daily reality for millions of women, men, girls, and boys that can feel overwhelming.
But I remain optimistic ... because of YOU. Faithful partners who make it a priority to help empower children, families, and communities around the world. Your inspiring support has helped bring hope to so many women and girls facing unimaginable hardships.
Please know I am deeply thankful for you!
I pray this season is filled with joy, hope, and the promise of a better future for all.
With gratitude,
Kathryn Compton
Chief Development Officer
Strong Women Strong World®
Ways to take action
Raise awareness and use your influence:
Lending your voice (and your email!) Ask your U.S. senators and representatives to address the global hunger crisis by reauthorizing the Farm Bill — you can learn more about it and share a pre-filled email message to them in just a few simple stepshere.
Then, ask your friends, family, and even your coworkers to lend their voices as well.
Share about it on social media — here's an example of what you can say: The world is experiencing the largest global hunger crisis in modern history. Globally, more than twice as many people are hungry as in 2020. Ask Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill to tackle hunger at its roots.
Leverage your relationships and invest your resources:
This is your last chance to register for the not-to-be-missed Strong Women Strong World annual event Empower Her in New York City on Friday, December 1. Invite a friend and make an unforgettable weekend out of it.
Double your impact! Every $1 given to the Strong Women Strong World® Fund will be matched with a $1 donation to programs that empower women and girls, thanks to a generous SWSW partner.
World Vision's Strong Women Strong World®
helps keep girls and women at the center of global community development, advocacy,
and emergency response work. Together, we can continue making a difference
in the lives of women and girls and accelerate communities’ progress out of poverty.