Nepal further improves in Global Hunger Index but the food prices are soaring

Nepal ranked 69^th in the recently released Global Hunger Index 2023 among 125 countries.

According to the report, Nepal is among the seven countries that have achieved reductions of five points or more between their 2015 and 2023 GHI scores. Other countries include Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste.

With a score of 15.0, Nepal now has a level of hunger that is “moderate”. Other countries in South Asia are ranked as follows — Bangladesh (81^st); Pakistan (102^nd); India (111^th) and Afghanistan (114^th).

In the previous year, Nepal ranked 81^st out of 121 countries in the GHI index with a score of 19.1. Nepal has made substantial progress over the decades in reducing hunger problems. Its score was 37.2 in 2000, 29 in 2008 and 21.3 in 2015.

The severity of each country’s GHI score ranges from low to extremely alarming. A 100-point scale reflecting the level of hunger is used to calculate the GHI score, with 0 being the highest possible score (no hunger) and 100 representing the worst based on the values of four indicators — undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting,  and child mortality.

According to the report, while the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and rising food costs may be lessening globally in 2023, the climate conditions are worsening and food prices remain costly for many people in many regions.  

Food security and nutrition crises are especially dangerous for a large number of young people in low- and middle-income nations. 

Although Nepal has improved on the global hunger index, the country has been facing soaring consumer prices for the past few years.

Nepal’s inflation on a y-o-y basis stood at 7.5% in mid-October this fiscal year 2023/24 which was as high as 8.5% in the same period the previous fiscal year. 

Meanwhile, food and beverage prices rose by 8.38% in mid-October this fiscal year.

The y-o-y prices of cereal grains and their products rose by 12.23%; pulses and legumes by 8.17%; vegetables by 5.43%; milk products and eggs by 11.92%; fruits by 14.02% and spices by a staggering 37.63% compared to the previous fiscal year for the same period.

High food prices mainly threaten poor households, who have no choice but to cut back expenses on their meals.

Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report that measures and tracks hunger at the global, regional, and country levels and is jointly published by two humanitarian agencies, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.