According to the 2016 Global Hunger Index 38.7% of Indian children under five face stunted growth, due to lack of food. India was also ranked 97 among 118 countries, in measures of hunger, according to report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Strikingly, apart from Pakistan which ranked at 107, all the neighboring countries including China (29), Nepal (72), Myanmar (75), Sri Lanka (84) and Bangladesh (90) fared better than India.
The report adds that even though hunger levels in developing countries have fallen by 29%, since 2000, it will require a much bigger effort to meet the goal of eradicating the same by 2030.
Central African Republic, Chad and Zambia reportedly have the worst conditions along with Haiti, which has been a target of natural disasters. These countries are followed by 43 others which include India, Nigeria and Indonesia, that have serious hunger levels, according to the report.
At the current rate, India might experience severe hunger levels by the year 2030, notes the author of the index.
The hunger index ranked countries based on undernourishment, child mortality, child wasting (low weight to height ratio) and child stunting (low height for age).
Reportedly, the conditions in Central African Republic and Zambia are so bad that nearly half the population suffer from hunger.
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Rwanda, Cambodia, and Myanmar along with 17 other countries have managed to reduce their GHI scores by over 50% each since 2000, according to the report.
