Global Hunger Index 2021: “Hunger is on the rise again”

Welthungerhilfe warns of setbacks in the fight against hunger. A “devastating interplay” of wars, climate change and pandemic worsen the situation. Development Minister Müller is also sounding the alarm.

Wars, the climate crisis and the corona pandemic are leading to a growing number of starving people, according to Welthungerhilfe. “Current findings point to setbacks in the fight against hunger and promise difficult prospects for the future,” says the Global Hunger Index 2021 published today. The global community is dramatic with a view to the goal of no longer starving people by 2030 “Off course.

“The already much too slow progress towards zero hunger by 2030 will stagnate or even have setbacks,” said the organization. This year’s Global Hunger Index points “to a gloomy hunger situation, fueled by a devastating interplay of the climate crisis, Covid-19 pandemic and increasingly difficult and protracted conflicts”. This would threaten “any progress made in recent years”.

In 2020, 155 million people worldwide were in an acute nutritional crisis, emergency or disaster, according to the report. The number of acutely malnourished people rose by almost 20 million in 2020 compared to the previous year. According to more recent UN information, the number has now increased again – to 161 million people.

Appeal to politics

“Hunger is on the rise again,” said Welthungerhilfe General Secretary Mathias Mogge to the editorial network Germany (RND). Violent conflicts have increased again in recent years and are one of the greatest hunger drivers. “Where there is war, crops, fields and infrastructure are destroyed and people flee their villages.” Politicians must fight the crises associated with food shortages.

A total of around 811 million people worldwide are starving and 41 million are on the verge of famine. “The current Global Hunger Index shows that 47 countries will not even have low hunger levels by 2030,” added Mogge. “Welthungerhilfe calls for political initiatives to contain the conflicts worldwide and financial efforts to counteract the acute famine.” In addition, binding agreements are needed at the UN climate conference COP26 in Glasgow (October 31 to November 12) to combat climate change.

For the report, the situation in 135 countries was assessed; detailed evaluations are available for 116 of them. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in particular are affected by famine. Somalia has the worst value on the 100-point scale with 50.8 – the situation there is rated as “serious”. The situation in the Central African Republic (43), Chad (39.6), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (39), Madagascar (36.3) and Yemen (45.1) is considered “very serious”.

Müller: “Hunger is Murder”

In view of the global situation, Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller is also sounding the alarm. “The consequences of the corona pandemic and many conflicts have led to a negative trend reversal in recent years: Millions of people are out of work on the street, supply chains are interrupted, food prices are rising,” said the CSU politician of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. 130 million people have fallen back into hunger and poverty. Climate change is exacerbating the situation. “We must finally understand the fight against hunger and poverty as a forward-looking peace policy – and put it at the top of the global political agenda,” demanded Müller before World Food Day on October 16.

He pointed to 15,000 children who starved to death every day. “This is an unbelievable scandal”. Müller added: “Hunger is murder, because we have the knowledge and the technology to satisfy everyone.” A world without hunger is basically possible. “With an additional 40 billion euros per year for sustainable food and agriculture by the industrialized, private and developing countries, hunger can be defeated by 2030.”