Lagging behind most south Asian countries, India has ranked 107th on Global Hunger Index 2022 out of 121 countries ranked. With a score of 29.1, the level of hunger in India has been rated as ‘serious’ by European NGOs, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, the publishers of the Global Hunger Index.
India slipped six places from its 2021 ranking of 101 among 116 countries. Last year, the country’s score was 28.2.
The Global Hunger Index scores are determined based on the values of four component indicators – child mortality, child stunting, child wasting and undernourishment. The Index, published annually, tracks hunger globally as well as by region and country. The publishers sourced the data for the indicators from various multilateral agencies, including the UN, UNICEF, World Bank, and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Almost all of India’s neighbours fared well with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar ranking 99, 64, 84, 81, and 71, respectively. With a score of less than five, China has topped the chart with 16 other countries.
Those who ranked below India are Afghanistan, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Niger, Haiti, Central African Republic, Yemen, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar.
The Global Hunger Index 2022 could not determine the ranks of 15 countries, including Uganda, Zimbabwe, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Guinea, Burundi, and Mozambique, due to the lack of data, the report said.
Following the report, Opposition leaders criticised the BJP-led Central government, saying that the country’s score has worsened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said that 22.4 crore people in India were undernourished.
“When will the Hon'ble PM address real issues like malnutrition, hunger, and stunting and wasting among children?” he wrote on Twitter.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that the BJP aims to create a five trillion economy but ranks 107 on the hunger index.
“Even 106 countries, up to Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, are better than us in providing bread for two times,” he tweeted in Hindi.
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