In a shocking revelation, a recent report has highlighted that global hunger remains shockingly high and there has been hardly any progress over the past few years. Due to this, the goal to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030 now appears unreachable.
If progress remains at the pace observed since the 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI) score, the world will not reach even low hunger until 2160 — more than 130 years from now.
The GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators — undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality.
According to the report, hunger is considered alarming in six countries — Burundi, Chad, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and serious in 36 countries. Somalia has performed the worst in this year’s report with a score of 44.1.
The report titled 2024 Global Hunger Index: How gender justice can advance climate resilience and zero hunger was jointly published by Irish Humanitarian Organization, Concern Worldwide and the German aid agency, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) on October 10, 2024.
According to the report, hunger is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where the crisis has soared to humanitarian levels.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s high GHI scores are driven by the highest undernourishment and child mortality rates of any region by far.
In South Asia, serious hunger reflects rising undernourishment and persistently high child undernutrition, driven by poor diet quality, economic challenges and the increasingly devastating impact of natural disasters.
The 2024 report shows that globally, 42 countries are still experiencing alarming or serious hunger.
GHI has observed that both Somalia and Chad are facing the compounding effects of conflict, climate change and economic downturns.
Yemen is particularly affected by conflict and climate extremes while Madagascar is facing extraordinary challenges posed environmental issues.
Talking of Somalia, the worst performer in the report, is facing a protracted hunger crisis driven by ongoing conflict, economic challenges and climate shocks, all in the context of a state that has limited capacity to carry out basic government functions. Over half the population, 51.3 per cent, lacks sufficient calories. Here, child wasting and mortality rates are also among the world’s highest.
According to the report, some countries including Bangladesh, Mozambique, Nepal, Somalia and Togo, have made significant improvements in their GHI scores, even if hunger in these countries remains too high.
The report clearly shows that sub-Saharan is the world region with the highest and most concerning hunger levels. While the region’s GHI scores have significantly improved over the past two decades, hunger remains serious, and progress has virtually stalled since 2016.
The high regional aggregate is driven by the highest undernourishment and child mortality rates of any region by far. Undernourishment rose sharply between 2015 and 2023, particularly in West and Central Africa, owing to recurring conflicts; economic challenges such as currency devaluations, soaring inflation, stagnating production, and trade barriers; and heavy reliance on food imports. In 2022, 72 per cent of the population in Africa South of the Sahara were unable to afford a healthy diet—the highest rate of any world region.
Globally, 733 million people — significantly more than a decade ago — lack access to sufficient calories and 2.8 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.
“Despite the international community’s repeated emphasis on the importance of the right to adequate food, there remains a troubling disparity between the standards established and the reality that in many parts of the world the right to food is being blatantly disregarded,” the report stated.
The report also highlighted the links between gender inequality, food insecurity and climate change, showing how these challenges combine and put households, communities and countries under extreme stress.
The push for gender justice with its benefits for agricultural production, food security, diets and child nutrition can be an important tool in reducing hunger, concludes the report.