Economy

Top Hungriest African Countries

Published

2 years ago

2023/01/17

According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, hunger is alarming in 5 countries—Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Yemen— and is provisionally considered alarming in 4 additional countries— Burundi, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool created to fully assess and monitor hunger at the international, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are computed annually to assess advancements and failures in the fight against hunger.

The recently-released Global Hunger Index (GHI) report was prepared jointly by the Irish aid agency Concern worldwide and the German organisation Welthungerhilfe.

Below is a list of the top five hungriest countries in Africa

5. Niger

GHI score in 2000: 52.5
GHI score in 2007: 40.2
GHI score in 2014: 32.8
GHI score in 2022: 32.6

This decade’s largest food security crisis affects Niger, where 4.4 million people require emergency humanitarian aid. This crisis occurs against persistently declining security in the Sahel, exacerbating the population’s socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

4. Chad

GHI score in 2000: 50.7
GHI score in 2007: 49.0
GHI score in 2014: 40.7
GHI score in 2022: 37.8

The Chadian government proclaimed an emergency declaration on June 1 2022. This decree was made in response to the extreme food insecurity and malnutrition crisis. During the lean season, which will be the worst in ten years, 2.1 million people will experience severe food insecurity, and 1.3 million children will be acutely malnourished.

3. Democratic Republic of Congo

GHI score in 2000: 48.0
GHI score in 2007: 43.2
GHI score in 2014: 38.7
GHI score in 2022: 37.8

According to the United Nations, there are at least 27 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who lack access to food. The recent violence between the army and the M23 rebel group in the country’s east, which has caused thousands of people to flee their homes, has led the UN to forecast that the situation will likely worsen.

2. Madagascar

GHI score in 2000: 42.5
GHI score in 2007: 37.2
GHI score in 2014: 37.3
GHI score in 2022: 38.7

Several severe humanitarian crises in Madagascar are affecting about 9 million people. On the island, climate change is very noticeable, especially in the form of catastrophic disasters. 1.5 million people south of Madagascar are food insecure due to failed rains and protracted drought. Acute malnutrition will affect 500,000 children under five in 2022, while severe malnutrition will affect 110,000. The nutrition situation requires immediate attention.

1. Central African Republic

GHI score in 2000: 48.8
GHI score in 2007: 46.8
GHI score in 2014: 44.6
GHI score in 2022: 44.0

Around 79% of the 4.7 million people who call the Central African Republic home are considered poor. The C.A.R. population of around 3 million people needs humanitarian aid. High gender inequality, poor markets, and low productivity are all contributory issues made worse by recurrent political unrest and instability that disproportionately affect women in rural areas.