FAO has warned that the total number of people at risk of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean has risen to 86.4 million.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned of the effects of inflation and economic slowdowns in Latin America and the Caribbean, as they threaten the food security of an additional 7.8 million people, potentially increasing overall vulnerability to poverty. There are up to 86.4 million people in the region.

Acting Secretary-General of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Simoli, said in statements that “these indicators were revealed in the latest report on economic performance and living conditions in the region”, explaining that “if this is in addition to the fact that women cause harm.” Much more, informal job status and lack of resources to improve social status, the numbers could be much higher.”

The UN spokesman pointed out that what is happening now is a path of various shocks, a series of crises and a cumulative path that began with the global financial crisis of 2008, followed by political tensions between the US and China and the Coronavirus pandemic from 2020 and now the war in Ukraine. He noted that “these conditions contributed to an increase in the poverty rate from 29.8% in 2018 to 33.7% this year, and the extreme poverty rate jumped from 10.4% to 14.9%. percent for the same period.

He also explained that “the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean confirms that the increase in poverty reflects a sharp increase in food prices,” and notes that “these levels are much higher than those recorded before the pandemic, and mean more one downturn in the fight against poverty in the region”.

And Simoli said: “Following a post-pandemic economic recovery that helped register a growth rate of around 6.3 percent in 2021, expectations for the current year are down to 1.8 percent or 0.3 percent compared to last January. year, as regional inflation is expected to rise from 6.6 percent in 2021 to 8.1 percent this year.

Notably, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines food insecurity as the inability of any person to have regular access to sufficient healthy and nutritious food to ensure normal growth and development, an active and healthy life.