Final answer:
The use of statistics in the text is to provoke a realization and urgency regarding the issue of world hunger and encourage action from the reader.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's purpose for using statistics as evidence in paragraph 1 is to provoke the idea in the reader that something must be done about world hunger. When authors use statistical data, it serves to illustrate the severity of a situation, provide logical evidence, and help readers think critically about the topic. Statistics are chosen to give strength or credibility to the author's claims and persuade the readers to recognize the urgency of the issue at hand. In this context, the statistics are likely meant to highlight the enormity of the world hunger problem, thereby eliciting a response from the audience that leads to action.