“Although it is challenging to determine the exact figures of malnutrition worldwide, according to the United Nations in 2022, approximately 9% of the world's population, or around 690 million people, experienced chronic hunger. Shockingly, this dire situation leads to approximately 25,000 people dying of hunger-related causes every day, with over 10,000 of these deaths affecting children.

When we analyze the yearly impact of these daily deaths, it results in a staggering figure of around 9.13 million people succumbing to hunger annually. Over a decade, the cumulative toll reaches a heartbreaking total of approximately 91.3 million lives lost. These numbers underscore the urgent need for global efforts to address food insecurity, poverty, and malnutrition, as hunger remains a devastating challenge that affects millions of lives worldwide.”

(The photograph was taken by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter in Sudan in March 1993. The photo depicts a emaciated girl crouching, while a vulture lurks in the background. This poignant image is often associated with the famine that was prevalent in the region at the time.

The starving and weakened girl appears to be in a desperate situation, while the vulture symbolizes the imminent threat of death. This photograph elicited emotional reactions and drew global attention to the severity of the famine affecting parts of Africa.

Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for this photo, but controversy surrounding the ethics of photojournalism also emerged. Some criticized Carter for not immediately helping the girl, although the exact circumstances of the shot are not clear. Shortly after winning the Pulitzer Prize, Carter tragically took his own life in 1994.

This photograph remains a powerful symbol of the realities of famine, poverty, and the challenges many people face in different parts of the world. It also highlights the moral dilemmas that photojournalists may encounter when documenting extreme situations.

The fate of the little girl captured in Kevin Carter's photograph in Sudan remains unknown. In the midst of severe famine, her story after that moment is unrecorded. She may have tragically succumbed to the harsh conditions, or perhaps she found a way to survive.)

Picture by Kevin Carter

Illustration by Laurent Guidali

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