Latin America & the Caribbean

01. 02. 03.

The state of hunger in the Americas

Poverty and hunger in the Americas have been increasing steadily since 2015, driven by displacement, climate disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic. With food, fuel, and fertilizer prices on the rise, more families are struggling to cope.

What causes hunger?

Measuring a child’s mid-upper arm circumference with a color-coded, graduated band is a cheap and simple way to detect undernutrition.

56.5M

People Face Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean

María Josefina serves as secretary of her local seed bank, an Action Against Hunger project that aims to promote diet diversity and stabilize food prices.

11.3%

More Women Face Hunger Than Men in Latin America and the Caribbean

A mother kisses her baby. Her family was displaced by conflict and now receives cash support from Action Against Hunger.

8.6%

Of People in Latin America and the Caribbean Are Undernourished

Where we work in the Americas

Action Against Hunger's teams are distributing food to the most vulnerable populations.

Colombia

Years of conflict have displaced rural communities and caused hunger in Colombia.

A girl grinds a crop grown in her community.

Guatemala

Climate disasters and poverty drive high chronic malnutrition rates in Guatemala.

Action Against Hunger teams carry out sensitization activities with families to teach about good hygiene and encourage use of latrines.

Haiti

Natural disasters, instability, and lack of affordable food has left millions of Haitians hungry.

A woman stands, holding a young boy in her arms.

Honduras

Action Against Hunger fights hunger and responds to emergencies in Honduras.

Nicaragua

As food prices increase in Nicaragua, many families cannot afford to eat a healthy diet.

Peru

Malnutrition has declined in Peru, but child hunger remains a major public health concern in rural areas.

Venezuela

The political and economic crisis in Venezuela has forced millions to flee their homes.

A community session on hygiene in Haiti.

Action Against Hunger helped to lead Haiti's fight to eradicate cholera.

Eradicating Cholera

To support families displaced by conflict in Colombia, we provide cash transfers to help them buy what they need to survive.

In Peru, Maribel grows swiss chard, spinach, carrots, cabbage, onions, corn, quinoa, and barley from seeds provided by Action Against Hunger so her family can eat a healthy diet.

Solutions to hunger and poverty in the Americas

Action Against Hunger fights hunger and works to improve food security and livelihoods opportunities throughout Latin American and the Caribbean. In the wake of natural disasters and other emergencies, we provide hygiene supplies and cash transfers to help families in crisis buy food and support local markets. We also provide mental health support for those coping with trauma.

We train health workers, parents, and others on best practices for preventing and treating malnutrition. Our research and survey teams help local authorities and partners to measure, analyze, and better understand hunger in communities.

We empower vulnerable communities to increase their access to healthy food, income, and markets. By equipping small-scale farmers with climate-smart agriculture techniques, we help people – particularly women – learn skills, save money, and access capital to start businesses.