ENOUGH food for a better life and a better future
‘Foods’ stands for diversity, nutrition, affordability, and safety. A greater diversity of nutritious foods should be available in our fields, in our markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all. Yet a worsening climate crisis, the consequent vulnerabilities that exacerbate migration trends, and the ongoing socio-economic instability are all compounding the food crisis like never before.
A life of plenty for every child has always been possible, but that’s not reality. We must take action immediately.
Food crisis is a complex issue, not a hopeless one
45% of children in East Asia and the Pacific are living in food poverty (UNICEF 2024), including 79% of children in Myanmar and 64% of children in Laos. World Vision, in East Asia, partners with communities to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices and diversified livelihoods so that families have access to sustainable food resources.
4.5 million children face food insecurity across Myanmar (UNOCHA Report). 75% of children aged 6-23 months do not consume a minimum acceptable diet. One in every 4 children under five years of age are stunted. Ei grew up against this backdrop. There are a lot of children in her community whose families cannot afford three meals a day.
World Vision, in collaboration with WFP, UNICEF and several partners, has been supporting food security efforts and programmes in vulnerable communities, helping to improve children's nutrition status.
In Laos, one in three children suffer from stunting. One in five children are underweight. One in ten children are wasted. Phoun grew up against this backdrop. For a very long time, his family did not have enough food to eat every day.
World Vision seeks to contribute to the undernutrition rates in Laos by integrating programmes that will improve health, nutrition, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, livelihood and disaster risk reduction in rural areas.
World Vision is working to address food security issues sustainably and holistically in East Asia through our integrated nutrition, livelihoods, climate change adaptation and resilience-building programmes, as well as close engagement with policymakers to strengthen policies and systems that affect food security.
Home Gardening & Financial Literacy
Two years ago, the vegetables and frogs Somphorn tried to farm were not growing well due to a lack of techniques. He is now seeing a positive change: his family's nutrition improves with food variety, they earn an income from the garden, they have started saving money, and the financial burden has become lighter.
Savings for Transformation
Myo’s father passed away when he was only 8 months old, leaving his mother and older brother, who was 12 at the time, to fend for themselves. With the main breadwinner gone, the family’s struggles worsened. Through livelihood training and participation in a savings group, his family could earn enough money and pay off their debts. Now, Myo's mother is running a successful livestock and farm business, and Myo is attending school without worries, striving to become a doctor in the future.
Resilience & Emergency Relief
At least 80% of rural Mongolians rely on agriculture for living. Yet, Mongolia registered over 5.2 million livestock deaths due to extreme winter conditions. For 11-year-old Nyambayar, multi-purpose cash assistance meant having enough food on the table. For 50-year-old Uyanga, it meant life-saving feed for his 30 livestock animals.
While nutrition, livelihoods and resilience programmes are direct solutions to food insecurity,
it is important to incorporate sustainable and efficient water action as water is essential for sustaining life and critical for crop production, food security, public health, sanitation and hygiene,
especially for women and girls.
MOFA-funded water project in Cambodia is among many projects that are significantly transforming the quality of life for children and their families.