The 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), released for the
eighth year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and
Concern Worldwide, calls for greater resilience-building efforts to boost food
and nutrition security.
NaijaAgroNet noted from the 2013 Index that global hunger is decreasing as the 2013
world GHI score has fallen by 34 percent from the 1990 GHI score, yet world
hunger still remains “serious,” with 19 countries suffering from levels of
hunger that are either “alarming” or “extremely alarming.”
The Index identifies hunger levels and
hotspots across 120 developing countries with South Asia having the highest
regional GHI score, followed by Africa south of the Sahara, Burundi, Eritrea
and Comoros have the highest levels of hunger while countries where situation
is already “alarming” or “extremely alarming” are vulnerable to the negative
effects of extreme weather events, climate change, population pressure,
conflicts and economic crises.
Welthungerhilfe’s Chairlady, Bärbel Dieckmann said “2.6 billion people have
to live on less than two dollars a day. For them a sick family member, a single
drought or the job loss of someone working abroad is a major crisis. As a
consequence, a child can no longer afford to go to school, the family diet is
reduced to often one meal a day or livestock needs to be sold. These people
have simply no coping mechanisms left to react to a crisis.”
The IFPRI research fellow Derek Headey
said that adopting a resilience lens is challenging because there was need to
build consensus on what it means and on that basis adopt programs and policies
that bridge the relief and development sectors.
Concern
Worldwide ‘s Chief Executive
Officer Dominic MacSorley explained “We must focus on those living in extreme
poverty, learn the lessons of the past and be clear what measures are needed to
enable the very poorest to become more resilient in the longer term. Concern’s
work in Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger and Chad is demonstrating how a resilience
approach can deliver significant and sustainable change at community level.
Turning this evidence into policy change is the next important step.”
NaijaAgroNet recorded from the report that developing
high-frequency surveillance systems for the most vulnerable regions, focusing
on community as well as individual and household resilience should be
incorporated into national and regional development strategies as something
distinct from conventional growth, poverty, or development objectives as pursuing
this will improve food and nutrition security for the world’s most vulnerable.
