Hungry children in Chad wait with empty bowls for a meal to be served.
In a world full of food, hunger shouldn’t be a reality.
Every year, 4 million metric tons of food is grown, harvested, transported, purchased and served around the world. Yet millions of people still go to bed hungry. An estimated 730 million people face chronic hunger. That’s about 1 in every 11 people.
That is why World Food Day matters. Observed each year on October 16, the day was established by the United Nations in 1979 and first observed in 1981. It is a way to raise awareness about hunger, food security, and the need for action. And the need for action is more present than ever.
For Christians, the call to respond to hunger is deeply personal. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a story about some sheep and goats. Toward the end of the tale, Jesus broke in to thank people for feeding Him when He was hungry. Very confused, a friend of Jesus raised his hand to ask the common question: “Sorry, Jesus, we don’t remember ever doing that. When did we feed you?” In a moment of profound revelation, Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, NIV).
When we see people in need through the eyes of Jesus, we’re compelled to respond with the same love He modeled . The kind of love that serves, gives, and has the power to restore.
Meet Nazifa and Nafile
Nazifa holds up her severely malnourished 8-month-old daughter, Nafile, inside their rebuilt hut in Ethiopia.
Nazifa, her two children, and her mother, Momina, live in the epicenter of the global hunger crisis — Ethiopia. Here, malnutrition is a national emergency. Around 4.4 million women and young children are malnourished. Regional conflicts are compounding the crisis, as new refugees arrive with urgent food needs. In total, Ethiopia hosts over 1 million refugees, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
World Vision President and CEO Edgar Sandoval Sr. recently visited Nazifa and her family. She told him, “We are patient. But hungry all day.”
As Edgar sat with the family, he heard firsthand about the challenges they had endured.
A few years ago, an old oil lamp fell, spilling fuel all over Momina’s small hut. Fire soon erupted. While Momina survived, her foot was badly burned. To pay the hospital bill, she needed to sell her tiny plot of land.
Last year, Nazifa and her two children moved into her mother’s rebuilt hut. With more mouths to feed and dwindling food assistance, the family struggled. Some days they could have one meal a day. On other days, no one ate.
“There are times I sleep without eating,” says Momina.
Demonstrating her belief in the power of God, Nazifa put her baby, Nafile, in Edgar’s arms and asked him to pray. Nafile is severely malnourished. She has received hospital care, but her fragile condition requires constant monitoring.
Honoring the request of a hurting mother, Edgar held Nafile and whispered a soft prayer to God.
The amazing news is that we can be the answer to that prayer.
Inside Momina’s rebuilt hut in Ethiopia, World Vision President and CEO Edgar Sandoval Sr. (left) holds baby Nafile as Nazifa and her other daughter, Sumera, look on.
Answering Jesus' call
Your gift to the Global Emergency Response Fund, combined in part with public grants and other partner support, will multiply 6 times in impact. Your generosity will help bring resources like critically needed food, clean water, child protection, nutritional support, and more to families affected by hunger, conflicts, and disasters around the world.
When you give, you can be confident that your support makes a real, tangible difference.
Over the last 15 years, 88% of the severely malnourished children we treated made a full recovery.
Hunger is more than a global statistic. It’s the struggle lived out by moms like Momina and Nazifa. The malnourishment experienced by babies like Nafile. The ache weighing on so many families who do not know where their next meal will come from.
This World Food Day, a gift to the Global Emergency Response Fund can help families like Nazifa’s face hunger with hope.
As Jesus invites us to see Him in those who are hurting and hungry, we can do just that. His compassion can be our compassion. And our response can be as though unto Him.
