India ranked 94th among 107 countries on the Global Hunger Index that tracks undernourishment, child undernutrition and child mortality across the world.
In the GHI for 2020, India ranks below neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal which are placed at 88th, 75th, and 73rd position respectively. Countries such as North Korea, Rwanda, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone are worse off than India.
On the brighter side, India has improved its position in the rankings since last year, when it was placed 102nd in the list of 117 countries.
South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara have the worst hunger conditions among global regions, the GHI found.
According to GHI 2020 report, India’s overall score is 27.2 which puts it under the “serious” category. As per the report, 14% of India’s population is undernourished.
India’s child wasting rate for 2020 stands at 17.3%, marginally better than last year, when it recorded a wasting rate of 20.8%. Child wasting refers to a condition where they have “low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.”
India also recorded a child stunting rate of 37.4%, but marked a reduction in the under-five mortality rates in the country.
The GHI is “a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and national levels”. Data from the United Nations and other multilateral agencies are used for the calculation.
“The GHI 2020 shows that although hunger worldwide has gradually declined since 2000, in many places progress is too slow and hunger remains severe,” the 80-page report said.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn, as well as a massive outbreak of desert locusts in the Horn of Africa and other crises, are exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity for millions of people, as these crises come on top of existing hunger caused by conflict, climate extremes, and economic shocks,” the report said.
(Published 16 October 2020, 16:53 IST)
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