May 19, 2013
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Description
Hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food. When politicians, relief workers and social scientists talk about people suffering from hunger, they usually refer to those who are unable to eat sufficient food to meet their basic nutritional needs for sustained periods of time.
Throughout history, a large proportion of the world's population have often experienced severe hunger. In many cases this resulted from disruptions to the food supply caused by war, plagues or adverse weather changes. For the first few decades after World War II, technological progress and enhanced political cooperation suggested it might be possible to substantially reduce the number of people suffering from hunger. While progress had been uneven, by 2000 the threat of extreme hunger has subsided for a great many of the world's people.
Until 2006, the average international price of food had been largely stable for several decades. But in the closing months of 2006 it began to rise at a rapid rate. By 2008 the price of rice had more than tripled in some regions, which had an especially severe impact in developing countries. Food prices fell in early 2009, but then rose again to reach another record high in 2011, and have since then decreased slightly. The 2008 worldwide financial crisis further increased the number of people suffering from hunger, including dramatic increases even in advanced economies such as Great Britain, the Eurozone and the United States.
(via Freebase)
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![UN food agency: 868 million people are going hungry [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-11922000/11922016/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=0785ae497a70e413e39405f32f735471)
![More Palestinian children suffering from hunger in Gaza as Israeli siege continues [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-7572000/7572028/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=3cc337ed100329f12cba96a462b04a20)
![Children in Gaza and West Africa suffer oppression and hunger [Algerie TV, Algeria]](/images/image_cache/base-5183000/5183907/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=bdd617699cb5677ca04f73b923df0e95)
