Multiple over-lapping crises are impeding global efforts to tackle hunger, according to the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI) released Thursday, which shows that hunger levels are at “serious” or “alarming” levels in 43 countries. The report, which is jointly published by the international humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide and the German charity Welthungerhilfe, finds progress against hunger worldwide has largely stalled since 2015.
Despite many political assurances and international conferences, there has been no success in reversing this trend. Since 2017, the prevalence of undernourishment has been on the rise, the report said. The number of undernourished people has climbed from 572 million then to some 735 million at the end of 2022. But as much as 10 percent of people around the globe still go hungry. Up to 783 million people faced hunger in 2022.
“Today’s report spells out the scale of the impact which multiple crises -- including the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and climate disasters -- are having on some of the world’s poorest people,” said David Regan, Chief Executive of Concern Worldwide.
According to the GHI, nine countries in this year’s report are experiencing “alarming” levels of hunger: Burundi, the Central Africa Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. Hunger levels are serious in an additional 34 countries, including some of the worst humanitarian crises like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti, Sudan, and Syria.
After years of progress, the latest Global Hunger report shows that the world has largely stagnated in terms of hunger reduction, with 14 countries with moderate, serious or alarming hunger scores showing improvements of less than five percent this year compared to 2015. For 18 countries, hunger levels are increasing versus decreasing. 58 countries will not succeed in achieving a low level of hunger by 2030.
While overlapping crises – like climate change, growing numbers of armed conflicts, and the rise in food prices – are forcing around three quarters of a billion people to go to bed hungry every day, young people, especially women, are hit particularly hard.
“If hunger prevails, children will have to work instead of going to school, and girls will be married off at too young an age. People in low-income countries and members of disadvantaged groups are particularly vulnerable because they have little excess capacity with which to manage the assorted crises”, said Marlehn Thieme, president of Welthungerhilfe.
“In light of these circumstances, the planned budget cuts to development cooperation and especially to humanitarian aid are a step in the wrong direction,” she added, referring to planned cuts in Germany.
However, despite the global challenges some countries continue to make progress in reducing hunger since 2015, including Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Lao, Mozambique, Nepal and Timor-Leste.
Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia are once again the regions with the highest rates of hunger. In this year’s report, seven African countries rank with alarming levels of hunger, including Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Somalia, and South Sudan. Among the countries with serious level of hunger in South Asia rank Afghanistan, India, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, and Timor-Leste.
The 2023 report also focuses on the future food needs of the world’s current young population – the majority of whom live in low- and middle-income countries in South Asia, East Asia and Africa. It brings attention to the crucial role that young people throughout the world could play in improving food systems, as the way in which we produce and consume food is neither sustainable nor fair.
“The number of young people is hitting a historic high at 1.2 billion. Despite inheriting systems that are vulnerable to crises, many young people in the Global South have not had a sufficient voice in the decision-making process,” said Mathias Mogge, the secretary-general of Welthungerhilfe.
Currently, as much as 42 percent of the world's population is under the age of 25. So there is hope.
“Governments must enable young people everywhere to bring their energy and innovation to define the future food and agriculture systems, improving nutrition while strengthening the resilience of the local food systems under most ecological and climate stress”, Concern Worldwide’s Regan said
Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe are calling for increased representation of young people in policymaking and decision-making when it comes to food systems. Governments must improve young people’s access to productive resources, reform land and property rights, and enable young people to profitably and sustainably engage in farming.
The 2023 Global Hunger Index is the 18th in a series of annual reports that present the hunger situation globally, by region, and at the country level using a multidimensional approach. The aim of the report is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world. The GHI uses data from 136 countries.
Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organization that focuses on the world's most vulnerable people. In addition to providing emergency aid in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, the non-governmental organization is also involved in long-term development cooperation. In 1968, Concern Worldwide - formerly known as Africa Concern - was founded in Dublin by a small group of people in response to famine and conflict in Biafra. The organization's international headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland. Concern Worldwide currently operates in 25 countries.
Welthungerhilfe is a German non-governmental aid organization active in the fields of humanitarian aid and development cooperation, fighting against global hunger and for sustainable food security. The organization aims to eradicate hunger from the world, fighting for “Zero Hunger by 2030”. In addition to providing direct disaster relief, Welthungerhilfe uses local organizations to help people in developing countries escape hunger and poverty and achieve sustainable food security. Welthungerhilfe is currently active in 35 countries and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
Further information
Full text: Global Hunger Index 2023, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, report, published on October 12, 2023
https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2023.pdf
Website: Global Hunger Index (GHI)
https://www.globalhungerindex.org/