What are the main causes of food shortages and malnutrition?
People living in poverty have limited access to food. For many malnutrition is the result of a lack of financial means to purchase enough food. Those who live in poverty may not have access to land on which to produce their own food. Within families living in poverty, women and children may have less access to food than men. The disruption of food production or distribution is another major cause of hunger and malnutrition. Natural disasters such as droughts, floods or tornados, may halt or disrupt food production, shipping or marketing and result in food shortages. Manmade disasters, including war, often limit food accessibility because they disrupt regular movement and distribution of food. During conflicts food can be used as a weapon; withholding food from civilian populations intentionally causes starvation. Who is at the greatest risk of suffering from hunger and malnutrition? Children under the age of five are most vulnerable to malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO)
