673 million people go to bed hungry every night, UN chief says on World Food Day

17/10/2025 7:32

Around the world, 673 million people still go to bed hungry every night today, and many more face daily uncertainty about their next meal, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.



In his message on World Food Day, which is observed annually on Oct. 16, Guterres said that 80 years ago, countries came together to defeat hunger, and in the decades since, the world has made dramatic advances. "Yet recent crises demonstrate that we cannot drop our guard if we are to sustain these gains," he said.



The UN chief said that new challenges have emerged over the decades, from soaring obesity to climate shocks threatening food security, and "shamefully, hunger is being weaponized -- we face the appalling reality of people in conflict situations being starved with famine taking hold."