FAQs

• How is Compassion helping children facing hunger during the global food crisis?

  Compassion’s 8,500 local church partners across over 25 countries are already responding to the global food crisis. They are equipped to provide routine health screenings for children so they can respond immediately to new or developing nutritional needs. In most cases, participants receive health support before wasting, stunting or severe malnutrition occur.

  To meet the changing needs of children and families facing increased food insecurity, our local church partners will respond in two ways:

  1. Provide immediate food packages and/or unconditional cash transfers to households deemed vulnerable to food insecurity. This includes children and families in Compassion’s program, local church partner staff, pastors and community members.

  2. Provide long-term food security through distributing seeds, fertiliser, livestock and training on how to build and maintain home gardens and small-scale farms.

  Despite the global food crisis, programming will continue as normally as possible at Compassion centres, aligned with local COVID-19 guidelines. If there is violence or political unrest, each country’s national office will modify the delivery of the program to best serve the participants.   

• What is food insecurity?

  Food insecurity occurs when a person doesn’t have regular access to enough nutritious food. It’s caused when food simply isn’t available or when a person doesn’t have enough resources to obtain it, as is often the case for families living in poverty. At its worst, severe food insecurity means a person has had nothing to eat for a day or more.  

  Among the countries where Compassion works, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Uganda, Togo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Columbia and Ghana have been identified as experiencing increased food insecurity, though this list continues to change and grow. To identify countries most heavily impacted, we use external data sources such as Trading Economics data, Famine Early Warning Systems data and World Food Program Hunger maps.

• How is the global food crisis affecting children in poverty?

  As food prices climb, so do hunger and malnutrition in young children. The impact of childhood malnutrition is catastrophic and has both short and long-term effects. The increased risks caused by malnutrition include:  

  • Diabetes, cardiovascular problems and cancer later in life

  • Growth stunting and wasting

  • Poor academic performance and intellectual development

  • Increased prevalence of attention deficit disorders  

  • Child marriage, as girls are offered in marriage arrangements for dowries that will feed their families

  • Child labour, as children leave school early to support their families

  • Premature death 

• What caused the global food crisis?

  The global food crisis has been caused by multiple factors: conflict, COVID-19, climate events and increasing costs.

  Climate

  Weather extremes pushed over 23 million people into acute food insecurity in 2021 alone. Drought is disrupting vital agriculture production, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia where they’re approaching a fourth growing season without rain.

  Conflict

  The war in Ukraine is intensifying the food crisis because Russia and Ukraine are responsible for supplying almost 30 per cent of the world’s wheat and a significant amount of global fertiliser. Conflict pushed 139 million people in 24 countries into acute food insecurity in 2021.

  Costs

  There is not a shortage of food in the world but rather how much food costs and how it's being distributed. With households in emerging economies spending an average 25 per cent of their budgets on food—up to 40 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa and 60 per cent in Haiti—rising inflation will place families in desperate situations.

  COVID-19

  The pandemic has drastically increased the number of families living with acute food insecurity. Loss of work, isolation rules and other restrictions have all contributed to this new crisis. In many nations, the pandemic continues to have a devastating effect on livelihoods.

• Why is the Food Security Gifts of Compassion™ an urgent need?

  Over 238 million people are facing life-threatening acute food insecurity. Compassion’s 8,600 local church partners across over 25 countries are responding to the global food crisis. You can help them provide urgent food packs and long-term food security by purchasing a Food Security GIFTSOFCOMPASSION™.

  As food prices climb, so do hunger and malnutrition in young children. The impact of childhood malnutrition is catastrophic and has both short- and long-term effects. The increased risks caused by malnutrition include:  

  • Diabetes, cardiovascular problems and cancer later in life
  • Growth stunting and wasting
  • Poor academic performance and intellectual development
  • Increased prevalence of attention deficit disorders
  • Child marriage (as girls are offered in marriage arrangements for dowries that will feed their families)
  • Child labour (as children leave school early to support their families)
  • Premature death 

  When you purchase a Food Security GIFTSOFCOMPASSION™, your gift will help to provide sustainable sources of food for families affected by this crisis.

  To make a global difference you can:

  • Give a Food Security GIFTSOFCOMPASSION™
  • Learn more about GIFTSOFCOMPASSION™