World Hunger Day 2022: History, Theme and Ways to Support the Movement

World Hunger Day is observed each year on May 28 to raise awareness about the dramatic rise in hunger in recent years. While the day was created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unprecedented global crisis has forced hundreds of millions of people into chronic hunger, escalating the need for change. Here’s everything you need to know about World Hunger Day 2022.

History and Theme of World Hunger Day

World Hunger Day is an initiative that was first observed on May 28, 2011, by The Hunger Project, a non-profit organization founded in 1977 that works towards ending world hunger. Leaders of the organization include business executives, heads of state and experts in women’s rights and social justice. 

According to The Hunger Project, the aim of World Hunger Day is to “join together as global citizens to highlight sustainable solutions to world hunger and declare our own role in making a hunger-free planet our reality.”

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The nonprofit’s website includes several statistics about the way in which hunger affects vulnerable communities around the globe. These include the fact that:

• 2.4 billion people don’t have access to adequate nutrition; 
• Women account for 60 percent of the world’s population suffering from hunger; and 
• 98 percent of the world’s undernourished live in developing countries where hunger kills more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Despite these grim facts, The Hunger Project posits that young leaders are the solution. For World Hunger Day 2022, special attention is placed on the role of youth at the intersection of climate and conflict. Since they are at the forefront of these movements, youth leadership is key to creating more inclusive, sustainable outcomes for those suffering with chronic hunger.

“Youth are leading the grassroots movement towards mitigating the impact of climate change and conflict by generating innovative solutions,” The Hunger Project stated on its website. “Because the end of hunger can’t happen in the absence of peace and peace can’t happen without economic and social prosperity.”

Ways to Support the Movement

One of the most palpable ways to show support for World Hunger Day is to donate to The Hunger Project Trust. Money raised will go to help both men and women in developing countries become agents of their own development. The Hunger Project offers various ways to contribute, including giving appreciated stock or making direct transfers from an individual retirement account (IRA) or a donor-advised fund (DAF), as well as cryptocurrency giving.

There is also a Social Media Toolkit that can be used for sharing posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media users can spread awareness by using the hashtags #WorldHungerDay, #WHD2022, #EndHunger and #YouthEndingHunger.

Finally, anyone that wishes to show support for World Hunger Day can take part in the “Live Below The Line” challenge. It takes place over five days and challenges participants to spend only £1 (approximately $1.25) a day for all food and drink to support people living in hunger.