Will you take action this World Food Day?

What do you do when you suddenly get hungry?

You either see what you have in your pantry or you swing by the drive-thru and go about your day.

But many people around the world don’t have those options. They spend days without eating and often don’t know when — or if — another meal is coming.

Today is World Food Day, a time to raise awareness about those who are suffering from hunger. It’s also the perfect time to help these people who are starving and struggling to survive.

Our global partners continue to tell us that food is the greatest need they are seeing.

And reports from around the world confirm this growing problem. In fact, some people in Brazil are so hungry that they’re picking meat and bones from rotting animal carcasses just so they can have something to eat.

The U.N. says 10 percent of the world’s population is now undernourished due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic. That’s 811 million people! But those numbers can be daunting, so let’s break it down.

Here are three specific countries battling extreme hunger and ways you can help these people in need:

Guatemala

Families in Guatemala haven’t been able to catch their breath. Before 2020, severe droughts kept their crops from growing in the hard, dry soil. And two-thirds of the population already earned less than $2 a day.

Then the pandemic hit. People lost their jobs, and interrupted supply chains caused food prices to skyrocket. The cost of beans alone went up nearly 20 percent! On top of that, two record-breaking hurricanes last year destroyed what few crops had managed to grow in the fields.

Suddenly, people had no way to feed their families. No money for groceries. No crops to sustain them.

“With the storms and COVID together, it really created this perfect storm for poverty,” our Guatemala partner said.

And the nightmare continues today.

Just last month, Guatemala’s president reinstated more curfews and restrictions in response to a surge in coronavirus cases. The people of Guatemala desperately need to work and be able to put food on the table … but that still isn’t an option for many of them.

Today you can help by providing food and other essentials for families in Guatemala and around the world.

Thailand

Thailand also recently faced an increase in infection rates.

Over the summer, a third wave of coronavirus cases swept the country, forcing certain areas back under lockdown. Many schools throughout Thailand remain closed.

For children who rely on school-provided lunches, they are now stuck at home without access to these meals.

Another stretch of lockdowns is especially bad news for those living in the slums of Thailand. Job opportunities were already thin in these poor communities, but now they’re practically nonexistent.

That’s why your gift is needed now more than ever. For just $14, you can meet one person’s most urgent needs by providing essentials like food, clean water, medicine, and more.

Afghanistan

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you may already know the different ways this country is struggling.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan back in August, and families immediately fled their homes to escape the violence. Now, the U.N. estimates that more than 3 million Afghans are displaced within their own country.

Armed soldiers roam the streets day and night, so these people are in hiding without food, water, or shelter. Going to work is not an option for most — especially women. They’ve been warned not to go outside alone.

And as winter quickly approaches, these stranded families are going to need as much help as possible.

Will you help them survive?

Every $14 is enough to provide help and hope for one person in need — whether it’s a starving child in Afghanistan or an elderly grandmother in Haiti who lost her home to the earthquake.

Not only will you help provide lifesaving aid like food, clean water, medicine, durable clothing, warm blankets, and more … but your generosity will also show the love of God to people who have lost all hope.

Please give the gift of food and so much more this World Food Day.

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