ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2019) Over 120 million people across the world experience acute hunger and the international community seeks to eradicate all forms of malnutrition and hunger by 2030, David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said in an interview with Sputnik.
"Our goal is to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, that's the target we have set ourselves in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2. But across the world, 821 million people are still going hungry - 124 million acutely so," Beasley said.
Beasley explained that progress in fighting hunger was curbed by conflicts and climate shocks that people were facing.
"Wars are dragging on and new conflicts are flaring up - those are our biggest challenges. Peace and food security, where everyone has enough to eat, go hand in hand - it's the only road to Zero Hunger. I say all the time: the first thing global leaders need to do in order to solve the hunger problem is to end the wars," pointed out.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015. They are focused on 17 areas of life and are aimed at improving the humanitarian and environment situation across the world.
Beasley is currently visiting Russia for attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) where he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
SPIEF is an annual Russian business event held in St. Petersburg since 1997. This year, the forum is taking place from June 6-8. Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency is an official media partner of the forum.
