Asia

A woman and her son with several sheep that they are raising in a flood-prone are of Bangladesh.
Fabeha Monir
Action Against Hunger, Bangladesh

Millions of people in Asia live in extreme poverty, highly vulnerable to natural disasters and without access to enough healthy food.

01. 02. 03.

The state of hunger in Asia

There has been notable progress in reducing hunger in Asia in recent years. Driven mainly by improvements in South and South-eastern Asia, the number of people facing hunger in the region has fallen from 425 million to 323 million.

Despite this progress, Asia remains home to nearly half of the world’s hungry people, primarily driven by conflicts, climate-related events, and food price inflation. Food insecurity affects more women than men, and two-thirds of women lack dietary diversity, putting them at risk of micronutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, the prevalence of child wasting (9.1%) is higher than the global average (6.6%), particularly in South Asia, where it reaches 13.6%.

A mother gives her baby Plumpy'Nut to treat malnutrition at an Action Against Hunger nutrition center.
323M

People Face Hunger in Asia

48%

Of the World's Hungry People Live in Asia

A mother carries her two children over a muddy road.
100M

People in South Asia Lack Access to Clean Water

Where we work in Asia

The Impact of Hunger in Asia

Nadia, a mother of five in Afghanistan, gave birth to her youngest at home two months ago. The nearest health center is hours away, and it often runs out of crucial supplies and medicines. Conflict and drought further complicate matters – access to nutritious food is a struggle.

“Both my child and I were very weak,” Nadia says. “We do not have enough food – just a bit of rice, wheat, and flour, nothing else.”

Action Against Hunger’s mobile health and nutrition teams help to bridge the health gap in her area, and she turned to them for help. We screened Nadia and quickly diagnosed her with malnutrition. She was given therapeutic food and nutritious “super cereals” to help her improve her health and gain weight.

“In the future, I hope my children grow up, study, and help people,” says Nadia. “I don’t want them to be like us.”

In Pakistan's Sindh province, Action Against Hunger is helping farmers grow Zinc-enriched wheat for improved nutrition. Abdul Razzak, 30, received training in Crop Cultivation which has helped him increase his yearly yield. In Pakistan's Sindh province, Action Against Hunger is helping farmers grow Zinc-enriched wheat for improved nutrition. Abdul Razzak, 30, received training in Crop Cultivation which has helped him increase his yearly yield.
Khaula Jamil for Action Against Hunger, Pakistan
Nadia nurses her youngest child, 2 months old, at home in Duykondi Province, Afghanistan. Action Against Hunger works in this area to manage feeding programs and provide mobile health and nutrition support. Nadia nurses her youngest child, 2 months old, at home in Duykondi Province, Afghanistan. Action Against Hunger works in this area to manage feeding programs and provide mobile health and nutrition support.
Ghulam Reza Nazari
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
Balram goes door to door in his community, checking up on the health and nutrition of children and families. Balram goes door to door in his community, checking up on the health and nutrition of children and families.
Lys Arango
Action Against Hunger, India

In Pakistan, we help farmers deal with climate change - teaching them how to grow more nutritious crops, heal damaged soil, and use local materials to plant their gardens.

Advancing Farming Techniques to Prevent Malnutrition in Pakistan

We feel proud. We want to continue working for our children for a better tomorrow.”

— Shipli, who is adapting to climate change with our help

Afghanistan: Voices of Mothers

In India, Action Against Hunger health workers provide nutrition treatment and counselling in health centers, communities, and during home visits.

Meet 3 Action Against Hunger Community Mobilizers in India

Solutions to Hunger and Poverty in Asia

Action Against Hunger provides lifesaving treatment to children suffering from malnutrition. We partner with local governments, parents, and communities to bring treatment closer to children and others in need. Our teams also educate people and encourage behavior change to help prevent hunger from occurring in the first place.

Our food security and livelihoods programs empower vulnerable communities to improve their access to food, income, and markets. We help small-scale farmers to incorporate climate-smart agriculture techniques, increase production, raise livestock, and grow more nutritious crops.

In conflict and natural disaster situations, we improve access to clean water, safe sanitation, and good hygiene, and provide cash transfers to help families buy what they need.

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