Latin America Is Facing Rising Rates of Hunger — and COVID-19 Likely Made It Worse The pandemic could push malnutrition levels back 30 years in Latin America and the Caribbean. Why Global Citizens Should Care The global hunger crisis is being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, putting several countries at risk of famines and pushing millions of people into poorer health. The United Nations’ Global Goal 2 urges countries to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. You can join us and take action on these issues here. Although Latin America is a leading food exporter, almost a third of its people experienced either moderate or severe food insecurity in 2019, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other United Nations agencies.