in singapore. our headlines. an unofficial tribunal in london finds evidence of crimes against humanity and genocide against china s uyghur minority. pressure on borisjohnson as an investigation into covid rule breaking is expanded to cover three parties at downing street. it may come as no surprise that countries already struggling to feed their people, have found it even harder since the beginning of the pandemic. lostjobs, food price rises and supply chain gaps have all contributed to growing hunger. worldwide its estimated that 140 million children are now suffering from stunting and malnutrition. the tokyo nutrition for growth summit has received pledges from donors of over 27 billion dollars to help. but reaching the sustainable development goal of ending hunger in all its forms by 2030 and achieving food security, remains a huge challenge.
lawrence haddad is the executive director of gain, the global alliance for improved nutrition, and an organiser of the summit. hejoins me now from brighton. i want to start by asking you how much hunger has accelerated globally during the pandemic? during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has one during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has gone up during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has gone up faster during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has gone up faster than during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has gone up faster than i ve - during the pandemic? yeah, hunger has gone up faster than i ve ever . has gone up faster than i ve ever seen it go up. it s gonna buy about 20% in one year which is the largest ever increase we ve gone from about 768 million people are hungry to about 811 million people hungry, which is a massive increase. the most vulnerable kids under the age of five and the kids were stunted and wasted, which means the bodies are literally deformed by malnutrition, those numbers have gone u
where do you gone up tremendously too. lawrence, where do you see gone up tremendously too. lawrence, where do you see the gone up tremendously too. lawrence, where do you see the biggest - where do you see the biggest challenges right now geographically and why is this happening? where governments taking their eye off the ball in the serious issue? the bi est ball in the serious issue? the biggest increases ball in the serious issue? tue: biggest increases are ball in the serious issue? he biggest increases are really ball in the serious issue? tt2 biggest increases are really in south asia and sub saharan africa. that is where the burdens were highest pre covid 19. it is really happening is this toxic cycle, low vaccination rates and remember, vaccination rates and remember, vaccination rates and remember, vaccination rates are only six or 7% and sub saharan africa, so these low vaccination rates make it much more likely to have covid 19 restrictions in the covid 19 restricti
course, make covid 19 much worse. so we have this toxic interplay of covid 19 in malnutrition and what the governments need to do is things to break the cycle. they need to tackled the nutrition reduction. it was a good start, 27 million but on the year by year basis, that s about 6 billion a year. that is what it is now. it really need to double or triple to make a big impact and thus addressing the need to do. the second thing is something early in your programme was mentioned. they need to get of these vaccine deserts thatis need to get of these vaccine deserts that is what is happening and sub saharan africa. these vaccine deserts are essentially breeding grounds for resistant vaccine strains which is bad for the places in which they emerge but it s also bad for everyone. just in which they emerge but it s also bad for everyone. bad for everyone. just briefly, neither we