World Hunger Day 2024

As the father of two young and growing boys, I can’t imagine the pain and anguish experienced by parents whose little ones are often forced to go hungry.

There can be few things more desperately instinctual than wanting to ensure your child is always sufficiently fed and nourished – and therefore healthy and happy.

And yet, on this World Hunger Day, I am forced to once again confront the awful reality that, as a parent in this troubled world, I am one of the fortunate ones who doesn’t have to worry about where my children’s next meal is coming from.

It is a scandal that, globally, 149 million young children are today estimated to be so acutely undernourished that their growth and development have been irreversibly stunted.In the face of such a horrifying statistic, the urgent need for us all to collectively do more to overcome the root causes of poverty and disadvantage is arrestingly clear.

At the same time, World Hunger Day presents all of us involved in the life-changing mission of Akshaya Patra with an opportunity to reflect on the significant progress we have made together in the fight against hunger and educational inequality.

Recently, at the United Nations in New York, Akshaya Patra’s efforts were honoured as it was announced that we have now served more than four billion healthy and nutritious meals since our inception in 2000.

Thank you for all you have done to help us reach this momentous milestone!

And please continue supporting us to reach more hungry children in India, which is still home to the world’s largest food insecure population, and in the UK, where a quarter of households with children live in food poverty.

With sincere thanks,

Daniel Adams
Chief Executive Officer
Akshaya Patra UK