Statement: Save the Children says G7 hunger commitment a ‘small start’ but more needed
KRUN, Germany, 28 June 2022 – Save the Children welcomed the G7 commitment of US$4.5 billion to fight global hunger but said more was needed to tackle the world’s worst global hunger crisis in decades.
In response to the final communique from the G7 Summit in Krün, Germany, Gabriella Waaijman, Save the Children’s Global Humanitarian Director, said:
“We welcome the new commitment of US$4.5 billion by G7 leaders to increase global food and nutrition security through the Global Alliance for Food Security to provide urgently-needed investment to save lives now. But this was a lost opportunity to come up with the kind of comprehensive package of support which was needed. This package needed a stronger focus on nutrition, including commitment to providing the therapeutic foods needed to bring severely malnourished children back from the brink and stem the rising tide of malnutrition happening now.
“Looking beyond the current crisis, the G7 has failed to commit to meaningful, long-term action to tackle the cyclical, predictable crises that threaten millions of lives, including climate change and conflict. Continuing to act purely reactively will cost us all so much more– in lives and in money – than acting strategically to address the root causes of these crises.
“Investment in early and anticipatory action, strengthening resilience of communities by enabling fast and flexible aid flows to local actors who need it most, and scaling up shock-responsive health, nutrition and social protection systems, are the only ways to prevent this happening again.
“It is not too late to save lives now and protect children’s futures but leaders must do so much more than what we saw at the G7. This response is a small start but it’s by no means job done.”
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Daphnee Cook, Daphnee.Cook@savethechildren.org;
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