Top 10 countries worst hit by the global hunger crisis—where does India stand?

From the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical conflicts, economic downturns, and the climate crisis, all have contributed to increasing food and fuel prices and widening inequality, resulting in devasting rising hunger and starvation.

As a result, the number of people facing food crises has risen by 122 million from 2019 to 2023, as highlighted in the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World in 2023.

About 350 million people around the globe today are undergoing the most extreme conditions of hunger, and out of those, almost 49 million people are on the verge of famine right now, the UN WFP highlights.

Additionally, over 820 million people suffer from chronic undernourishment, with about 60 percent of women, and five million children under five years of age dying of malnutrition-related causes each day, as per FAO.

To address global hunger and reaffirm its commitment to this cause, the FAO observes World Food Day every year on October 16 and commemorates its establishment in 1945.

This year we will mark World Food Day 2024 on October 16, falling on Wednesday, under the theme ‘Right to foods for a better life and a better future,’

While the goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030 appears challenging—given that 42 countries are still facing alarming or serious levels of hunger—there is a slightly positive development.

The 2024 Global Hunger Index report highlights that the world today has a GHI score of 18.3, a small decrease from the 2016 score of 18.8, which is categorized as moderate.

Note: The undernourishment values represent the global situation, including countries within and outside the Global Hunger Index (GHI), with colours corresponding to the severity of hunger. (Source: GHI)

Global Hunger Index 2024: The world’s 10 worst affected countries by hunger in 2024

The progress against hunger has slowed down, with 22 countries witnessing an increase in hunger since 2016, while in 20 countries, the progress has largely stalled.

Notably, in 5 countries—Fiji, Jordan, Libya, Syria, and Venezuela—the hunger situation has gotten even worse than in 2000.

The 2024 GHI results highlight challenges affecting the world’s poorest countries, amplifying structural inequalities.

GHI is an instrument utilised by international humanitarian agencies to estimate and track hunger levels.

Based on indicators like undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality across 127 countries; here are the top 10 hungriest countries in the world in 2024.

Rank 2024	Country Name	GHI 2024	GHI 2000
127	Somalia	44.1	63.3
126	Yemen	41.2	41.6
125	Chad	36.4	50.5
124	Madagascar	36.3	42.3
123	Democratic Republic of the Congo	34.9	47.2
122	Haiti	34.3	39.8
121	Niger	34.1	53.1
120	Liberia	31.9	48.0
119	Central African Republic	31.5	48.0
118	Korea (DPR)	31.4	43.7

Source: Global Hunger Index 2024

Global Hunger Index 2024: India’s position explained

In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) of 2024, India has been placed in the 105th position, categorizing it as “serious” in terms of hunger analysis.

India’s GHI score of 27.3 is a cause for concern, especially when compared to its South Asian neighbours like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which fall into the “moderate” category.

India is ranked with countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, which also face “serious” hunger, in 2024. (Express Photo)

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Comparing the GHI scores of India, the country which was previously categorized as “alarming” in 2000 with a score of 38.4, has shown gradual improvement. However, there is still a long way to go as the 2024 GHI report presents troubling statistics highlighting;

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• 13.7 per cent of India’s population suffers from undernourishment,
• 35.5 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted.
• 18.7 per cent experience wasting, and
• 2.9 per cent of children do not reach their fifth birthday.

These numbers indicate deep-seated issues concerning undernutrition, unhealthy living conditions, and inadequate access to essential nutrients.