Nearly four in ten (37%) parents globally say their children are not getting the necessary nutrients they need daily, and 21% state that their children have gone to bed hungry in the last 30 days. These are the findings of a new global study commissioned by the international organization World Vision in 16 countries on the occasion of World Food Day.

In our country, 2 out of 10 children say that their families only occasionally or never provide them with enough food, according to the latest Child Well-being report from World Vision Romania. Additionally, 14% of children aged 15 to 18 eat one piece of bread or more each day. The same percentage of young people frequently or always go to bed hungry, and for 9%, this is a routine.

One of the most important projects of the World Vision Romania Foundation for ensuring food well-being and equity is "Pâine și Mâine" (Bread and Tomorrow), through which over 1,400 rural children currently receive a hot meal at school daily, along with two hours of homework assistance.

Global Study Results

Almost half (46%) of adults worldwide say they've worried about finding money to buy food in the last 30 days, with this percentage increasing by 77% in low-income countries. The same study shows that, in the past 30 days, 30% of parents didn't know where their next meal would come from, and 21% said that a child in their household had gone to bed hungry due to a lack of food. This percentage rises to 38% in low-income countries.

Among those who have had to put a hungry child to bed, the main causes cited are:

• Inflation and rising cost of living (46%)
• Low household income (39%)
• Lack of government efforts to reduce hunger (25%)

Malnutrition is widespread and not limited to low-income countries. "Hunger is a problem that is not limited to a single country or a specific region of the world. Ensuring food for every child is possible, yet the number of hungry children is on the rise. Parents worldwide are facing these hardships without receiving any support," said Andrew Morley, President, and CEO of World Vision International.

37% of parents worldwide say their children do not receive the necessary nutrients they need daily. This problem is more pronounced in low-income countries such as Chad (66%), Malawi (64%), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (63%). However, even in Western countries, many parents struggle to provide their children with the necessary food: Germany (24%), the USA (20%), Australia (19%), and Canada (18%).

Global Citizens Underestimate the Impact of Hunger and Malnutrition

Almost half (45%) of children under five years old die due to poor nutrition. However, when adults are asked to estimate this percentage, 44% of them believe that the number of deceased children is under 30%. Moreover, 46% of those asked didn't even want to guess. This indicates that many parents do not realize how serious this problem is.

The majority of parents (97%) agree that it is vital for children to eat at school, and 85% support governments financing a school feeding program. In the same study, only 40% of parents claim that their children received a meal at school in the last month.

75% of adults believe that the government does not help vulnerable families enough in their country. Additionally, 71% believe that not enough is being done to combat child malnutrition, and 69% share the same opinion about the global hunger crisis.

In this context, in Romania, World Vision Romania and the World Vision Romania Children's Advisory Council are calling for the nationwide expansion of the hot meal program in schools, prioritizing the most vulnerable schools. The Council calls for access to nutritional education for both children and parents and for coherent programs to reduce food waste. The entire appeal can be viewed here: World Vision Romania says ENOUGH!

About World Vision's Global "Enough" Campaign

World Vision operates in over 100 countries, helping millions of children and adults suffering from malnutrition, especially in situations of natural disasters, conflicts, or extreme poverty.

We work closely with local communities to reach families in need, provide food, and advocate for fair and sustainable nutrition, including through schools.

The global effort to combat hunger is the largest of its kind, with investments of over 1 billion dollars to support 22 million people in 28 countries. It is an unprecedented action for any NGO. However, even so, it is not ENOUGH.