Nearly 345 million people struggle with acute hunger worldwide today. But when it comes to solving hunger, calorie intake is only part of the equation. People need affordable, diverse, and steady diets rich in nutrients to ensure long, healthy, and food-secure lives.
Malnutrition is a global phenomenon and a hidden emergency that’s one of the major underlying barriers to economic development. There isn’t a country on Earth that isn’t affected by it — right now, 2.8 billion people worldwide can’t access a healthy diet. Over the last few decades, the international community has banded together to tackle this crisis head-on, and the world saw a significant turn-around. In 2018, nearly 50 million fewer children experienced stunting (or being shorter than average due to long-term developmental delays) compared to just under two decades prior in 2000.
But now, the fight to end hunger and malnutrition is stalling due to a series of unfolding crises, including man-made famines, rising poverty levels, shifting diets, and the climate crisis. Cuts to US and European foreign aid alone could cost 2.3 million children access to severe malnutrition treatment, causing the deaths of 369,000 children annually who should have been saved.
The good news? We know that this problem is solvable. But it’ll require major funding to turn this crisis around. Here’s how Global Citizen is working to help close the malnutrition gap for good.
What Exactly Is Malnutrition — And What Are Its Impacts?
Malnutrition is caused by an incomplete diet, either by not consuming enough calories, micronutrients (essential vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a body’s health), or both. Its consequences are deadly. About half of all child deaths under five are linked to malnutrition. And it’s pervasive. Over 45 million children under five suffer from wasting (dangerously low weight), and over 150 million are stunted. Meanwhile, in wealthier nations, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor meals lead to obesity and associated health risks.
It’s important to remember that these numbers aren’t just statistics — they’re futures and lives lost. Even one episode during childhood can cause lifelong consequences, including chronic health conditions, learning impairments, and reduced job prospects in adulthood. Nutritious food is out of reach for many everywhere, but especially during crises driven by conflict, climate disasters, and economic shocks. The situation is most dire in fragile and conflict-afflicted regions. In Sudan, over 1 in 3 children face severe malnutrition; in Somalia, 63% of children are severely food insecure. That figure jumps to a staggering 93% in Gaza.
While devastating on an individual level, malnutrition also has society-wide ripple effects. It costs the global economy $1.6 trillion every year — that’s more than the GDP of entire countries lost (including economies like Spain, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey). In low-and middle-income countries, childhood stunting costs the private sector $135 billion annually in lost productivity and can cause GDP losses up to 16%.
We Need a Global Wake-Up Call
Despite a global goal to end malnutrition by 2030, progress is slipping. The COVID-19 pandemic, rising global food prices, and major funding cuts to international aid are threatening hard-won gains, risking major setbacks in nutrition.
The answer? World leaders need to directly prioritize local nutrition initiatives. Funding towards nutrition doesn’t just save lives — it transforms them, by improving health, strengthening economies, and building more equitable societies. Improving nutrition — especially during the critical first 1,000 days of life — is one of the smartest, most powerful investments in the fight against extreme poverty. These early days shape a child’s entire future, enabling their ability to grow, learn, and lead a healthy, productive life. That’s part of the reason why every $1 invested in nutrition returns $23 in wider economic benefits.
What we need now is action — and the money to back it up.
How Global Citizen Is Taking Action
For over a decade now, Global Citizen has mobilized the public to put pressure on world leaders to step up for global nutrition funding. High-level events, such as the Global Citizen Festival, serve as powerful platforms for world leaders to literally take the stage and prove their commitment to ending hunger. At past festivals, governments from countries such as France, the UK, and Japan have pledged millions towards global nutrition initiatives. Global Citizen has also activated in moments of crisis, from COVID-19 to famine emergencies, pressing for increased aid to UNICEF, World Food Programme (WFP), and other humanitarian organizations working on the frontlines of this global crisis.
Global Citizen actively campaigns on behalf of critical multilateral organizations that make a real impact, including the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), a major funder of nutrition in low-income countries, as well as initiatives like the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to support women and child nutrition and Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), a movement of public, private, and civil actors working together to improve nutrition.
Through advocacy campaigns, star-studded music festivals, and direct engagement with governments and international institutions, here’s how Global Citizen has helped turn awareness into action.
Case Study: Nutrition for Growth (N4G) 2025
A key opportunity for global nutrition advocacy has been the N4G summit, a recurring global event to galvanize substantial pledges to end malnutrition around the world. It convenes governments, the private sector, and civil society to make concrete promises, from financing aid programs to supporting new, emerging research on food systems, ensuring funding reaches wherever it will have the most impact.
In 2025, Global Citizen was in Paris co-hosting an official N4G side event with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Act4Food. This event centered young voices and assembled experts and advocates to discuss how to best integrate Indigenous food systems across global climate and nutrition policies. Speakers highlighted that traditional food systems (and the communities behind them) safeguard biodiverse crops that help promote nutrition, health, climate resilience, cultural identity, and economic livelihoods, all at once.
This event was held against a backdrop of pledging events that culminated in $27.5 billion to combat global malnutrition — matching what was raised in 2021, despite a tougher financing climate. But thanks to N4G host efforts and advocacy pressure, donors stepped up big time with more than 400 pledges, sending a powerful signal that nutrition must be integrated across the entire global development agenda.
Case Study: US Emergency Relief for Somalia and Yemen
In 2017, famine threatened millions in Somalia and Yemen — but global funding to address the crisis fell far short of what was needed. Global alarm bells were ringing, but at the time, the White House was proposing deep cuts to US foreign aid — including life-saving food assistance.
In response, Global Citizens took action. Partnering with the band Pearl Jam, they took nearly 50,000 actions to contact local Congressional representatives, urging them to vote in favor of additional emergency funding to stop the famine. This collective pressure helped secure $991 million in emergency relief, helping prevent further disaster.
But today, the seeds of future crises may take root as sweeping cuts to US foreign aid have left millions without food, costing resources, money, and putting vulnerable lives on the line. Without this essential aid, lives hang senselessly in the balance — not because we lack solutions, but because essential food supplies can’t reach where they’re most needed.
Case Study: Denmark Pledges to IDA
Throughout 2024, Global Citizen supported the replenishment campaign for the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). IDA is a singular agency in the international development space, offering financing to the world’s 78 most vulnerable countries and impacting the lives of 1.9 billion people worldwide. It has a proven track record of lifting countries out of poverty by giving grants and low- and zero-interest loans that boost economic development, including addressing malnutrition for more than 40 million women and children per year.
Global Citizen sought to secure early pledges from the world’s wealthiest countries before IDA’s fundraising deadline, building momentum for support behind its vital mission. One key country that stepped up was Denmark. On the Global Citizen Festival stage in Central Park, the Danish Minister of Finance, Nicolai Wammen, and actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau spotlighted the country’s pledge of $491.7 million to IDA — a remarkable 40% increase from its last contribution. “Hello New York! Global Citizens, we have heard your voices!” said Wammen, celebrating the role that Global Citizens played in pushing Denmark to take action.
What Remains at Stake
Malnutrition threatens nearly every pillar of international development, from health and education to peace building. The cost of inaction can be counted in lives lost and trillions of dollars wasted.
The world has taken some steps forward and achieved significant milestones over the years. But with progress stalling, we can’t afford to stop now. With food insecurity on the rise, and funding in jeopardy, rallying for nutrition is more critical than ever.
That’s why your voice on this issue matters. One way you can help is by joining Global Citizen — help take action, demand accountability from world leaders, and push for financing to end malnutrition for good.