India has ranked a low 94 among 107 nations in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020. According to the GHI report, India has a score of 27.2. This places the country under the ‘serious’ category in the GHI severity scale.
India ranks lower than neighbouring Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Nepal (73) and Sri Lanka (64) among other countries. Some of the countries that rank lower than India are Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Rwanda (97). India was placed at 102 out of 117 countries last year.
The Global Hunger Index is determined through four indicators - percentage of population that is undernourished, percentage of children under five years suffering from wasting, stunting, and child mortality. Data for the report is obtained from the United Nations and other agencies.
The report observed that the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined food and nutrition security for many countries and its effects will likely ripple into the future.
“Given the current trajectory, the goal of achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 will not be fully achieved. This likelihood is evident even before factoring in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is already reducing food and nutrition security around the world, with additional effects expected into the future.”GHI Report
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