Joining forces against all forms of malnutrition: the role of the SCN
"Since World Food Summits 1996 and 2002, world leaders repeatedly committed to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. Despite this, the number of hungry and malnourished people has increased dramatically and is estimated to grow to nearly one billion this year as the economic crisis takes its toll on developing countries.
What should be done to reverse rapidly and steadily the trend of increased hunger, malnutrition and poverty?" To read the editorial with Mr. Alexander Mueller, Chair of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition click here.
Mauritania: a successful partnership with REACH
Located in the arid Sahel region of West Africa, Mauritania is one of the world’s least developed countries and faces recurrent crisis, linked in particular to drought and floods, as well as periodic locust infestations. Hunger and malnutrition - in particular “hidden hunger” related to poor diets - are a serious concern. Although the percentage of underweight children under five declined from 47% in 1990 to 24% in 2006, the country has witnessed a sudden reversal of the situation in 2007, with underweight prevalence returning to more than 30%. To read more click here.
REACH brochure
AUDIO INTERVIEW: REACH in Mauritania
Ms. Maria do Valle Ribeiro, UN Resident coordinator and Mr. Sergio Texeira, REACH facilitator, have been coordinating the REACH initiative in Mauritania since 2008. Government staff from relevant ministries, UN agencies and NGOs have been working together to gain a common understanding of the current activities and gaps related to food and nutrition, which has led to increased collaboration at local and national level and enhanced attention to child hunger and undernutrition in the national policy agenda.
To listen to the interview with Ms. do Valle Ribeiro click here.
To listen to the interview with Mr. Texeira click here.
Spain MDG achievement fund
The Spanish funded MDG Achievement Fund supports national efforts to accelerate progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Its objective is to positively impact the status of the MDGs and tackle inequality, increase national ownership and civil society participation, and improve aid effectiveness by building on the collective strength of the United Nations.
To read the interview with Mr. Alberto López García-Asenjo, Permanent Representative of Spain to FAO click here.
Action contre la faim promotes people autonomy
Action against Hunger International (Action contre la Faim International- ACF-IN) is a non-governmental organisation which aim is to combat hunger and diseases that threaten the lives of vulnerable children, women, and men. ACF-IN intervenes with emergency operations, meeting the vital needs of the most vulnerable, and with post-emergency programmes to promote people’s autonomy. To read the article by Ludovic Bourbé click here.
National Alliances views at the eve of the “UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development”
The United Nations is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 24 to 26 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters to assess the worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression. The aim is to identify emergency and long-term responses to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on vulnerable populations.
One of the most dramatic aspects of the current crisis is that it is boosting hunger and malnutrition worldwide, aggravating the situation of vulnerable populations already hit by the 2006-2008 rise of food prices and pushing new populations - until then food-secure - into precariousness, malnutrition and hunger.
In this shifting global context, National Alliances Against Hunger (NAAH) from all over the world must now consider additional challenges and bring new solution-paths to address the long-time structural factors bringing hunger and malnutrition within their populations. A new way of thinking and acting is required, which will probably need to resort to partnerships and co-action much more than it has been done the past.
Responding to a call from IAAH Secretariat to all National Alliances the NAAH from Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria as well as the “Hunger-Free Latin American and The Caribbean initiative (HFLAC)” provide their views on national challenges and progress in the fight against hunger and malnutrition in their respective countries. In most cases such views are formulated independently from governments’ own assessments and therefore they only reflect NAAH authors’ views.
Click on the countries below to read more.
Argentina - 
Benin - 
Bolivia - 
Burkina Faso – 
Chad - 
Honduras - 
Indonesia 
Lebanon - 
Nigeria – 
Nepal – Hunger-Free Latin American and The Caribbean initiative (HFLAC)
