Goal of the Month

IN FOCUS: 

Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty – on US $1.90 a day – has dropped massively, from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015. But the pace of poverty reduction is slowing down and current projections suggest that 6% of the world’s population will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, missing the target of the first Sustainable Development Goal.

And despite earlier extended progress on Goal 2 – Zero Hunger – the number of people suffering from hunger has been on the rise for the third consecutive year. An estimated 821 million people were undernourished in 2017, up from 784 million in 2015. The proportion of stunted children has been declining since 2000, but 22% of children under 5 years of age were still chronically undernourished in 2018.

Given those challenges, increased political will and targeted actions are needed to help the most vulnerable, strengthen basic resources and services, and support communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters. Ending poverty and hunger also involves promoting sustainable agricultural, supporting small-scale farmers and equal access to land, technology and markets.