Biden Pledges $10 Billion To Combat World Hunger In UN Speech

President Joe Biden told the United Nations on Tuesday that the U.S. will commit $10 billion to combat world hunger.

Biden noted that one in three people globally do not have access to adequate food and that the U.S. is “committed to rallying our partners to address immediate malnutrition and to ensure that we can sustainably feed the world for decades to come," according to The Hill.

"To that end, the United States is making a $10 billion commitment to end hunger and invest in food systems at home and abroad," Biden added.

Biden did not elaborate on how or when the money would be distributed. The United Nations announced a Food Systems Summit will be held Thursday in New York City which will include nearly 100 heads of state who will address plans for a more sustainable food system. The United Nations has set a goal to end world hunger by 2030.

According to World Divison, about 690 million people go to bed with an empty stomach every night, and if the number continues to rise, it will exceed 840 million by 2030. The pandemic has not helped these numbers as estimates suggest between 83 million and 132 million more people will go hungry due to COVID-19.

Sub-Saharan Africa has seen the worst of world hunger as 22% of the population experiences undernourishment. That number is expected to increase to 29.4% by 2030. The Caribbean also has a fairly high rate of undernourishment at 16.6% and across Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, about 57% of the population is unable to afford a healthy diet.

The World Bank estimates there will be a total of 150 million people living in extreme poverty in 2021, the main cause of world hunger.