In 2024, Action Against Hunger faced hunger crises head-on. We harnessed cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to bring hope to the world’s most vulnerable communities.
With a child dying of malnutrition every 15 seconds somewhere around the world, it’s imperative that we pioneer and scale up solutions to address hunger’s causes and consequences. Every day, our team works in dangerous and remote environments, offering assistance to those who need it most. We’re working on the next frontier of hunger research, conducting over 30 research initiatives each year and co-creating solutions with the communities we serve. In 2024, we continued to advance some of our greatest inventions, including the SAM Photo App, a groundbreaking smartphone technology, new climate-smart agriculture practices, lifesaving crisis prediction models, inventive data-tracking tools like SMART+, and novel malnutrition treatment formulas that reach more people at a fraction of the cost.
Although 2024 was a year of dire emergencies — from deadly floods to catastrophic conflict— our teams, partners, and program participants persevered. In some of the planet’s most perilous regions, we worked alongside communities to build resilience and push for lasting change. We reach more than 21 million people in 59 countries each year, pioneering new innovations that harness cutting-edge technology to save lives. Thanks to our efforts, between 1990 and late 2010s, the global proportion of malnourished children. Our work is far from over. Today, hunger impacts one in 11 people. Conflicts in countries and regions like Haiti, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine left countless people dead or injured. Climate shocks in Kenya, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and throughout Central America has caused more families to face unprecedented food insecurity. But with continued research and innovation, it is possible to solve this crisis in our lifetimes.
What does this innovation against hunger look like today? We’re honored to showcase our top nine photos of 2024 to show you just that.
In Zambia, we developed climate-smart agriculture.
In February 2024, Zambia’s government declared a national emergency as communities faced the region’s worst drought in four decades. After the president called for international support, Action Against Hunger and partners heeded their call. There, we’re implementing a ten-year project designed to mitigate and prepare for the impact of climate change. This spring, farmers harvested their first batch of drought-resistant black-eyed peas.
In Bangladesh, we took preemptive action against cyclones.
Repeated natural disasters and chronic food insecurity in Bangladesh make it one of the world’s most vulnerable countries. Our staff work with local partners to strengthen anticipatory action programs, which can predict climate shocks like cyclones. In the exposed coastal regions, these programs help communities build climate resilience and plan for long-term challenges. There, a group of women attend a monthly meeting organized by an Action Against Hunger partner in Satkhira, Bangladesh to learn about how to prepare for these catastrophes far in advance.
In South Sudan, we grew onions and other crops in flooded areas.
In South Sudan, over 6.3 million people suffer from food insecurity. 2.1 million children have severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger. Our innovative programs help farmers grow rice in flood waters, farm climate-resilient crops, build new waterways, access emergency services, rebuild livelihoods, and so much more. Meet Chan Agany Joseph, a farmer who is transforming his community by growing onions, in an area where produce is typically grown only by women.
In Guatemala, we collected rainwater with a novel invention.
Action Against Hunger is working to combat climate change through programs like The Rain Tree Project, or Arbol de Lluvia. This innovation has increased harvests by harnessing rainwater. The Rain Tree accumulates rainfall and gives it to soil when the ground becomes dry, keeping crops hydrated. It has helped countless individuals in Guatemala like Alicia, pictured above.
In Ethiopia, we pioneered groundbreaking research on malnutrition treatment strategies.
Action Against Hunger is leading several research projects around the globe to ensure that children are treated faster and more efficiently. At the Wayu Wando Health Post in Ethiopia, an Action Against Hunger health worker uses a Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) band to screen two-year-old Waqoo for malnutrition. The health post is the backdrop for many treatment programs and even the Modified Dosage for Acute Malnutrition (MODAM) study, which tests modifications to typical treatment protocols to increase the number of children treated, reduce costs, and save more lives.
In Nepal, we empowered women to promote hygiene and sanitation.
In Nepal, female farmers are leading the fight against malnutrition. There, where one-third of the population lives in poverty, a financial crisis has driven many farmers to leave the country for better jobs. The women who stay behind have taken things into their own hands. Many are enrolled in Action Against Hunger’s hygiene promotion programs, which encourage safe sanitation practices, litter clean-up days, and community health.
In Tanzania, we partnered with community health workers to transform entire villages.
In Tanzania, 60-year-old Janet Mwendo is nicknamed the “street doctor” because of her commitment to her neighbors. In the Singida region, Janet goes door to door, checking children for malnutrition and teaching caregivers how to protect their little ones. Over the past five years, Janet has gone to countless homes to raise awareness about nutrition and educate her community for the better.
In Ukraine, we alleviated hunger and trauma alike through psychosocial support.
Hunger and mental crises are in a vicious cycle. Without proper nutrition, people are prone to stress, anxiety, depression and often lack energy to work engage with their community. When mental health needs aren’t met, individuals face financial, social and health challenges that make it harder to access food. In 2024, we celebrated our psychosocial health workers across the world. In Ukraine, these mental health heroes are on the frontlines of the conflict, providing a lifeline of support. Since the start of the war in February 2022, more than half of Ukrainian children have been displaced and 14.6 million people are in need. Marina Nechaieva, a psychologist with Action Against Hunger in the Kharkiv region, leads weekly therapy sessions for children and teenagers who have nowhere else to go.
In Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, we supported pregnant women and new mothers with enhanced nutrition.
Hunger is on the rise in the Middle East, with more than 1.9 million displaced in Gaza and 42,000 Palestinians killed. The entire region is at risk of famine. In Lebanon, another one million have been displaced. Action Against Hunger is ramping up its emergency response to reach as many vulnerable communities as possible. We also launched a vital project to support pregnant women, new mothers, and children under five years old. With famine imminent, our brave staff members are facing incredible odds to protect the people that need it most.
**
By Kenneal Patterson
About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 59 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.
