Asia

FACT SHEET: Africa

Africa Facts and Statistics

In this fact sheet, we will look at the history of hunger in Africa and current trends, review the unique characteristics and challenges of each of the five subregions, discuss why hunger is so persistent on the continent, and touch on some of the solutions that are making a difference.

Test Your Knowledge!

Hunger Quiz: Africa

Are you ready to challenge your understanding and make a real impact? Each completed quiz doesn’t just boost your awareness—it also translates into tangible aid for those in need. As you uncover surprising truths about hunger in Africa, Hunger Notes will make a donation to organizations responding to hunger.

Africa Hunger in the News

Read the latest news and analysis about Africa and food insecurity below.

The new normal in Fata

by Ashfaq Yusufzai Inter Press Service February 11, 2016

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 11 2016 (IPS) - A military operation by Pakistan’s army has been proving fatal for Taliban militants who held sway over vast swathes of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) for over a decade. They crossed over the ...

Suicide has emerged as the single leading cause of death among women in Nepal aged 15-49. The report listed general causes for suicide such as mental health problems, relationships, marriage and family issues, and youth (since 21 percent of the suicides were committed by young women aged 18 years and under) but did not elaborate on causes. Photo: Brennon Jones/IRIN

Nepal: Why are so many young women killing themselves?

by IRIN News January 22, 2016

Suicide has emerged as the single leading cause of death among women in Nepal aged 15-49, outranking other causes such as accidents and disease, according to a government study. ...

Thousands of farmer suicides prompt India to set up $1.3bn crop insurance scheme

by Agence-France Presse The Guardian January 13, 2016

India needs to “Save its Daughters” through education and gender equality. India ranks 130th of 155 countries in newly released gender inequality index.

by Neeta Lal Inter Press Service January 8, 2016

Women constitute nearly half of the country’s 1.25 billion people and gender equality — whether in politics, economics, education or health — is still a distant dream for most. This fact was driven home again sharply by the recently released U...

Global grocer supply chains tied to slave-peeled shrimp

by Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, Martha Mendoza and Esther Htusan Associated Press December 14, 2015

SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand (AP) — Poor migrant workers and children are being sold to factories in Thailand and forced to peel shrimp that ends up in global supply chains, including those of Wal-Mart and Red Lobster, the world's largest retailer and th...

In this Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 photo, children and teenagers sit together to be registered by officials during a raid on a shrimp shed in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. Abuse is common in Samut Sakhon, which attracts workers from some of the world’s poorest countries, mostly from Myanmar. An International Labor Organization report estimated 10,000 migrant children aged 13 to 15 work in the city. Another U.N. agency study found nearly 60 percent of Burmese laborers toiling in its seafood processing industry were victims of forced labor. Photo: © AP Photo/Dita Alangkara