The theme for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) World Food Day on Sunday is, "United Against Hunger."
The theme was chosen by the global organization to recognize regional and national efforts around the world to combat hunger.
Minister of Public Health Maria Buncamper-Molanus said that country Sint Maarten fully supports all initiatives to alleviate global hunger.
The Minister added that, World Food Day reminds us that nearly a billion people around the world suffer from hunger and this prevents them from leading healthy, active, and safe lives.
Last year the global hunger crisis reached unprecedented levels, where one billion people were left hungry. The UN’s World Food Programme along with other stakeholders around the globe, are working together to curb rates of hunger.
"Food security is an important challenge of the 21st century and a key issue in view of realizing the international commitments of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
"The right to food is the inherent human right of every human being. The right to food is the right to be able to produce or purchase safe, nutritious and culturally acceptable food. The right to food is not the right to free handouts.
"The right to food was first recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, and it has been gradually strengthened by the ratification of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights of 1966," Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Maria Buncamper-Molanus told the Government Information Service (GIS).
This recognition of World Food Day is also part of the Ministry of Public Health annual calendar of observances.