SL ranked lowest in South Asia on Global Hunger Index

In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Sri Lanka has been ranked the lowest among South Asian nations.Sri Lanka has been ranked at 64 out of the 121 countries that were considered. With a score of 13.6, Sri Lanka has a level of hunger that is moderate, according to the GHI report released recently. In South Asia, India ranked 107 while Pakistan (99), Bangladesh (84), Nepal (81) and Afghanistan with a rank of 109 is the only country behind India.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. The GHI is designed to raise awareness and understanding of the struggle against hunger, provide a way to compare levels of hunger between countries and regions.

Each country’s GHI score is calculated based on a formula that combines four indicators-

• Undernourishment: the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake;

• Child stunting: the share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition;

• Child wasting: the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.

• Child mortality: the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

In 2021, Sri Lanka ranked 65 out of 116 countries while in 2020 the country was placed at 64th position.

According to the 2022 GHI, Hunger is at alarming levels in five countries—Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Yemen— and is provisionally considered alarming in four additional countries— Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria. In a further 35 countries, hunger is considered serious, based on 2022 GHI scores and provisional designations.

The GHI said the world is facing a serious setback in efforts to end hunger, with conflict, the climate crisis and the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded by the war in Ukraine, are major drivers of hunger. The report warned that the situation is likely to worsen in the face of overlapping global crises—conflict, climate change, and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The war in Ukraine has further increased global food, fuel, and fertiliser prices and has the potential to contribute to food shortages in 2023 and beyond, the report said. Africa, South of the Sahara and South Asia are the regions with the highest hunger levels and are most vulnerable to future shocks and crises, GHI report has said.