Welthungerhilfe, Germany, and Concern Worldwide, Ireland, jointly published this report in October 2023. The first Global Hunger Index (GHI) report was published in the year 2006. This 18th edition reiterates the effect of climate change, covid-19 as well as war and conflict on global food systems and emphasises the importance of youth involvement in governance. The report also measures the progress made towards achieving the second of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – ‘Zero Hunger’. Quoting the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, the report states that ‘food deprivation’ or ‘undernourishment’ refers to “the habitual consumption of too few calories to provide the minimum dietary energy an individual requires to live a healthy and productive life, given that person’s sex, age, stature, and physical activity level.” The 2023 report calculates the GHI scores for 125 countries and tracks hunger at global, regional and national levels. It gives each country a score which measures hunger on a 100-point scale, ranging from ‘low’ (less than or equal to the score of 9.9), ‘moderate’ (10-19.9), ‘serious’ (20-34.9), ‘alarming’ (35-49.9) to ‘extremely alarming’ (greater than or equal to 50). The GHI is calculated using four indicators: ‘undernourishment’ (the share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient), ‘child wasting’ (the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition), ‘child stunting’ (the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition), and ‘child mortality’ (the mortality rate of children under the age of five). This report uses data collected by various United Nations agencies – including the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund – and other organisations such as the World Bank.
