According to a recent report by five United Nations agencies, over 52 million individuals in Bangladesh are currently experiencing varying levels of food insecurity, ranging from severe to moderate. Within this group, approximately 18.7 million people are facing the most severe form of food insecurity.
The five United Nations agencies are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The report titled 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World' was published last Wednesday.
The number of people experiencing severe to moderate food insecurity in the country has surged by nearly 1.8 million in the past six years since 2016.
The report explains acute food crisis as a condition where people run out of food and stay hungry for days leading to severe health risks.
Moderate food insecurity refers to a condition where individuals encounter uncertainties in accessing an adequate food supply. This may result in the need to reduce their food consumption or compromise on the quality and quantity of available food. Such circumstances arise primarily due to limited financial means and a scarcity of other necessary resources.
According to the report, in 2019, more than 122 million people were added to the number of people who were suffering from severe food crisis in the world due to the Covid pandemic. With the current pace of hungry people increasing worldwide, it is not possible to end hunger by 2030 as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the contrary, the number of hungry people will increase by another 600 million during this time.
The report elaborates, there were 52.7 million people in moderate to severe food insecurity in the country between 2020 and 2022. From 2014 to 2016, the number was 50.9 million. While the number of people facing moderate food insecurity went up, the number facing severe food insecurity fell. This number was 20.9 million in 2016 which has decreased to 18.7 million in 2022.
Food insecurity has had detrimental effects on human nutrition, as outlined in the report. Specifically, it reveals that a staggering 3.9 million five-year-old children in Bangladesh are experiencing stunted growth as a direct consequence of inadequate nutrition.
The Minister of Agriculture, Abdur Razzaque, told Prothom Alo that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in income for certain individuals, resulting in various challenges. Nevertheless, he highlighted significant improvements in the overall nutritional standards of the country over the past 13 to 14 years. Supporting his statement with data, he mentioned that vegetable production in Bangladesh has significantly increased from 3 million tonnes in 2009 to 22 million tonnes presently.
This UN report has mentioned the future risks of Bangladesh due to climate change. It reveals that 22 per cent of rural households in Bangladesh are affected by floods, while 16 per cent of the population suffers from river erosion. These environmental hazards not only contribute to hunger but also pose additional concerns for the country.
The report highlights the adverse impact of the Covid pandemic on people's income, compounded further by the Ukraine-Russia war. Consequently, there has been a surge in inflation, leading to higher food prices and exacerbating food insecurity among billions of individuals.
Economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, speaking to Prothom Alo stated, "Through various reports, we have demonstrated that people have fallen back into poverty during the Covid pandemic. Many individuals were unable to cope with the income shock, and the situation worsened with the rise in food inflation."
Hossain Zillur said that the expenditure on non-food items has also increased. These include housing, health or education. Under increased pressure, people are forced to reduce food purchases.