"One in 11 people worldwide are starving. Climate crisis, wars, inequality and reduced funding are also jeopardizing previous successes," reads the 2024 report of the NGO Deutsche Welthungerhilfe(WHH) which was presented in Berlin on Thursday. The message sounds pessimistic, almost desperate. Despite all the adversity, the private aid organization, which relies on government support and donations, is trying to spread confidence: "Our goal of a world without hunger remains achievable — if it is prioritized, politically willed and adequately funded," the report states. However, the NGO's figures show an alarming trend: 733 million people worldwide currently suffer from chronic malnutrition. Since 2019, that number has risen by 152 million. And the situation is likely to worsen further because the US and Germany, the most important donor countries, are massively reducing their budgets for development cooperation and humanitarian aid. "Cuts lead to loss of lives. What looks like austerity measures on paper means hunger, displacement or even death for millions of people," WHH President Marlehn Thieme warned. She stressed that the elimination of hunger remains a top political priority, given the increase of wars and crises. The Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip and the people of Sudan are particularly affected and increasingly unable to get assistance. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is one of the worst things he has seen in over 30 years, said WHH Secretary General Mathias Mogge. Sudan: Half of the population needs humanitarian aid The Sudanese army has been fighting the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, displacing more than 11 million people within the country. According to the United Nations, around 25 million people in Sudan need humanitarian aid — about half of the population. According to Mogge, working in Sudan is more dangerous than almost anywhere else. "We still have staff on the ground, some of whom have to hide in villages and the surrounding area," he said. Sudan is one of the places where the international response began too late, Mogge said self-critically. That is why WHH has established what it calls a proactive humanitarian aid system to enable them to respond faster to crises and wars, as well as to the consequences of climate change. Mogge explained that this system enables them to make payments swiftly, "so that people don't lose everything they own, such as livestock, money and agricultural equipment. Instead, they can keep as much as possible and don't have to start from scratch later."