You might call hunger the global problem that really shouldn’t be a problem—that’s because the world produces enough food to feed all 8 billion of us on earth, but hundreds of millions of people still go hungry. For these people, food is too expensive, or there isn’t enough food available in their area. For others, there’s enough food to technically survive on, but the quality is so bad that it doesn’t provide enough nutrients, and it hurts their health.
Hunger and food insecurity have been reduced in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, but in parts of Africa and the Middle East, food security is so much of a problem that it’s reached the level of crisis. Humanity is still far away from guaranteeing that we all have access to enough good food.
Hunger vs Food Insecurity
Hunger and food insecurity aren’t the same thing, but these two terms relate to one other. The UN and many NGOs describe hunger as the painful feeling you get when you aren’t eating enough calories to fuel your body’s basic needs. Food insecurity is different because it’s about whether you are able to get enough nutritious food to support your body’s growth and activity. It is judged on a spectrum.
You are considered food-secure when you have no trouble obtaining enough quality food. Mild food insecurity is when you start to worry about your ability to get food in the future. Moderate food insecurity means being forced to reduce the quality and variety of the food you eat, and you maybe skip meals or eat smaller meals. So, if you’re at this level of food insecurity, hunger is no stranger. And if you are in severe food insecurity, which means going without food for one day or more than that, hunger is painfully present almost all the time.
How Big Is the Problem?
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report counted around 713 million – 757 million people who went hungry the year before, in 2023. This means one in 11 people—and in Africa, one in five. Also, 2.33 billion people globally experienced moderate to severe food insecurity while 900 million experienced severe food insecurity.
From the report, we also know that obesity rates are climbing up, which is also concerning for public health. It might be counterintuitive, but food insecurity can lead to obesity as well as hunger. This is because, in some places, highly processed foods stuffed with fats, sugars, and salts are easier and cheaper to get than fresh veggies and fruits, healthy meats, and other nutritious foods. So, someone who is food insecure might only be able to afford this junk food. Over time, eating these junk foods can prevent people from obtaining all the nutrients they require.
What Are the Causes of Food Insecurity?
If the world produces enough food for all and most of us agree that hunger should be eradicated, why does hunger exist? Poverty is one underlying reason. Hundreds of millions of people around the world scrape by on less than $2.15 per day–that’s right, less than most working people earn in an hour in the U.S. Not all of the people living in extreme poverty are hungry, but at the same time, almost every person who regularly faces hunger is poor. They just can’t consistently afford enough quality food—it’s simply out of reach.
Over and over, in the most hunger-affected countries of the world, conflict is also an underlying cause of food insecurity. This is the case in Gaza, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria. War and violence disrupt and destroy food systems, from crops and farmland to transportation networks, food storage and distribution centers, and markets. In Gaza, the hunger crisis has been made worse by a blockade that has almost completely cut off humanitarian aid. Famine conditions—a complete lack of access to food—persisted throughout 2024. Since the January 2025 ceasefire, some aid has begun to make its way into Gaza but people are still suffering.
Natural disasters like droughts and floods can also increase food insecurity because they destroy crops and livestock, and this extreme weather is happening more and more often. For example, besides a destructive civil war, Sudan has seen heavy rain and flooding that have also washed out crops and food infrastructure in the past year. Long-lasting droughts and heatwaves in Syria (plus in Iran and Iraq) have scorched fertile farmland over the past half-decade.
Rising costs are also to blame. In the U.S., food insecurity increased to 13.5% in 2023, up from 12.8% in 2022, in part due to rising inflation. Rapid inflation can also happen during conflicts and put good food out of most people’s ability to afford it.
Rising to the Challenge
Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is dedicated to alleviating hunger in the U.S. and around the world. Food aid is its largest single program. In 2024, IRUSA worked with 83 different partners in a number of states across the U.S. to distribute food for Ramadan for some 80,000 people. These efforts fed hungry people and allowed people to honor the traditions of the holy month without hardship. Then, for Qurbani/Udhiyah, IRUSA and its 64 U.S. partners provided halal meat to approximately 60,000 people. Without this, many recipients would have little access to meat, especially as inflation keeps prices high. Meanwhile, IRUSA’s hot meals program has provided wholesome, nutritious hot meals in cities such as Detroit and New York, where it benefits people experiencing homelessness and others in need. IRUSA’s other food aid programs in the U.S. include free turkey distributions at Thanksgiving and support for the USDA Summer Food Service Program for schoolchildren and youth. Elsewhere, around the world, IRUSA has provided food aid in many of the countries where hunger is rife and people struggle to access healthy food, including Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen, to name only a few.
Islamic Perspectives on Feeding the Hungry
As the largest Muslim faith-based nonprofit in the U.S., IRUSA is inspired by Islamic teachings that bestow a moral obligation on followers to care for others. In Islam, providing food to the hungry is a way to demonstrate compassion for people who are less fortunate. It is a virtuous act that is mentioned many times in the Quran and the hadith and, as an act of a charity, it’s a way to purify the soul.
Moreover, feeding the hungry is viewed as a social responsibility in Islam—-it is a necessity, not just a recommendation or something nice to do. The duty to feed people in need is a reminder not to be selfish and that wealth is to be shared and used for the benefit of all people. Through this action, Muslims grow spiritually, remembering to be humble, generous, and grateful for the blessings they have.
Leave a Reply